Resident doctors in the United Kingdom have announced a four-day strike in June amid ongoing disputes over pay with the government. The British Medical Association (BMA) confirmed that the walkout will take place from 7 a.m. on June 15 until 7 a.m. on June 19, with the possibility of additional strikes in July if their demands are not met.

The industrial action comes after the BMA rejected the government’s latest pay offer, which was reiterated by the new health secretary, James Murray. Having taken over from Wes Streeting two weeks ago, Murray maintained the previous offer of a 4.9 percent pay increase made in March, describing the BMA’s demands as “unrealistic, unaffordable, and unsustainable.” He expressed disappointment over the BMA’s decision to proceed with strike action without further negotiations and emphasized the financial pressures the strike places on the NHS.

Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, expressed frustration that the change in leadership at the Department of Health and Social Care did not lead to a different approach. Fletcher noted that Murray had an opportunity to resolve the pay dispute and address issues related to career progression but declined to improve the offer. The BMA is calling for a 26 percent pay rise, which it argues is necessary to restore pay levels to those of 2008 when adjusted for inflation—a method that some experts dispute.

Since their first strike in March 2023, resident doctors have received pay increases totaling 28.9 percent, the largest rise awarded to any public sector group in recent years. According to BMA calculations, Streeting’s rejected offer, which included pay rises alongside reforms such as funding exam fees and creating 4,500 additional specialty training places, would have resulted in senior resident doctors earning up to £101,000 annually, while first-year doctors would receive around £50,800.

Murray reiterated his willingness to engage in further talks but defended the existing proposal as fair, highlighting that resident doctors’ pay had increased by 33.4 percent over the last four years, significantly above other public sector workers. He also cautioned about the wider impacts of strike action, stating that it places additional strain on remaining healthcare staff, compromises patient care, and carries a financial cost to the NHS running into hundreds of millions of pounds.

The upcoming strike will mark the 69th day of industrial action by junior doctors, now referred to as resident doctors, which the NHS estimates has incurred costs of approximately £3 billion. The dispute remains unresolved as both sides maintain divergent positions on pay and career development within the workforce.