The British Medical Association (BMA) has confirmed that junior doctors will accept a new pay agreement, bringing an end to three years of industrial action that has significantly disrupted the National Health Service (NHS). In a vote of 33,000 members, 53 percent approved a deal that includes an average 6.6 percent salary increase alongside the creation of thousands of new NHS training posts.

This development closes a chapter marked by 65 days of strike action carried out in 16 separate walkouts since March 2023. Under the new terms, the highest-paid resident doctors will earn up to £100,000 annually, with scheduled biannual pay increases as they advance through their training. The arrangement also provides reimbursement of examination fees and introduces 4,500 additional training positions across the NHS.

Dr. Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA resident doctors committee, said the vote demonstrated that junior doctors found the offer adequate to continue progress on pay restoration and address staffing shortages. “The strikes will now end,” he said, though he cautioned that the pay review process must ensure continued improvements, warning that without further pay rises and job commitments, future disputes could arise. Fletcher noted that despite recent gains, junior doctors remain nearly 20 percent behind their 2008 pay levels, calculating that a full restoration would require an additional 26 percent increase based on contested inflation metrics.

The BMA had previously rejected a lower offer last March that would have delivered a 4.9 percent raise. Since the strike onset in 2023, junior doctors have received a cumulative 28.9 percent pay increase, marking the largest salary rise across the public sector in that period.

James Murray, who succeeded Wes Streeting as health secretary last month, described the deal as positive news for doctors, patients, and the NHS overall. He emphasized that the new pay structure and added career progression opportunities would help stabilize the service and reduce disruptions. “Patients will be relieved that the NHS is entering a period of greater stability,” Murray said.

Not all BMA members are satisfied, with some advocating for more substantial pay restoration back to pre-2008 levels. Fletcher acknowledged this dissent but highlighted that the current agreement represents a step forward while underscoring the need for ongoing government commitment, particularly on increasing training capacity to avoid future bottlenecks in doctors’ career pathways.

NHS England’s national medical director, Professor Frankie Swords, welcomed the vote, highlighting that the NHS could now focus on enhancing patient care and improving work conditions without the interruption caused by further strikes.