Resident doctors in England have voted to accept a pay offer, bringing an end to a year of strike action that saw 21 days of walkouts by the British Medical Association (BMA) Resident Doctor Committee since July 2025.
Details of the Agreement
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed that the group has accepted an offer from the Government to improve pay and working conditions. The new package includes standard 2016 resident doctor contract terms for all locally employed medics and an average 6.6 per cent pay uplift to be fully implemented by April 2027. Additionally, 4,500 extra specialty training places will be created over three years.
Pay Increase and Impact
According to the DHSC, the deal will mean resident doctor pay will be 35.2 per cent higher on average than it was four years ago. Health Secretary James Murray said: This is very good news for resident doctors, patients and the NHS as a whole, allowing us to draw a line under the disruption of previous months and focus on getting on with the job of rebuilding our health service.
Improved Conditions and Future Outlook
Murray added: Because of this deal, resident doctors will benefit from a new pay structure, better career progression opportunities and a range of other improved conditions to support them as they rotate and train. Patients will be relieved that the NHS is entering a period of greater stability. But this is the beginning, not the end of the journey. I know there is much more to do, and I am determined to keep working constructively with resident doctors, all NHS staff, and the unions who represent them to improve their working lives and together build a health service that is fit for the future.
Vote and Previous Strike Action
The online vote for resident doctors ran from June 18 to June 26. The BMA had warned that if the deal was rejected, strikes would have to escalate in intensity
. Thousands of resident doctors in England were set to stage a four-day walkout on June 15, which would have been the 16th round of strike action since 2023, but it was called off on June 13 after the offer was made.
