Conservative MP Calls for Ban on Doctor Strikes as NHS Costs Hit £3bn
In a stark intervention, Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch has declared that resident doctor and consultant strikes must be banned, following the 15th walkout since 2023 that has cost the National Health Service an estimated £3 billion over three years. Badenoch, who emphasises her personal respect for doctors as the daughter of a GP, argues that the British Medical Association (BMA) has transformed from a union into a militant cartel, betraying patients in pursuit of its demands.
The Financial and Human Toll of Industrial Action
Badenoch highlights that since Keir Starmer became Prime Minister, strike action by doctors has alone cost the NHS £1.2 billion – funds she states could have constructed two new hospitals or 34 A&E departments. Beyond the financial impact, she stresses the real human cost: each strike day results in hundreds of thousands of cancelled appointments and operations, leaving patients in pain and uncertainty at home.
Critique of Labour's Union Policies
The Conservative MP sharply criticises the Labour government for scrapping Tory-era legislation designed to curb strikes, such as the Trade Union Act with its 50% turnout requirement and minimum service levels for essential services. She accuses Labour of making a Faustian bargain with unions, noting that one of their first acts was to grant resident doctors a 22% pay rise without conditions, shortly before further strikes occurred.
Badenoch specifically targets Health Secretary Wes Streeting, describing him as long on style but short on substance, and too preoccupied with political ambitions to effectively manage the BMA. She contrasts this with the Conservative approach, which she claims prioritises patient safety over union interests.
Proposed Measures to Safeguard the NHS
To address the crisis, Badenoch pledges to:
- Ban strikes by resident doctors and consultants, mirroring existing prohibitions for police and Armed Forces.
- Reintroduce minimum service levels across the NHS to ensure continuous care.
- Empower the government to intervene if the BMA fails to act reasonably, preventing patients from being held hostage by industrial action.
She frames this not as an anti-doctor move but as pro-patient, asserting that many doctors share her view that the BMA is betraying the medical profession. Badenoch concludes that while Labour has chosen unions, the Conservatives choose patients, emphasising a commitment to getting Britain working again through stable healthcare services.
