Resident doctors across England have opted to approve a government proposal regarding compensation and employment conditions, effectively concluding three years of intermittent strike action.
This resolution includes provisions for increased training opportunities, accelerated salary growth, and the reimbursement of professional costs such as examination fees. The decision follows a referendum of British Medical Association members, where 53% of the 32,932 participants voted to accept the terms.
The agreement provides a 3.5% salary increase for the current year. Officials indicate that the comprehensive package will result in an average rise of 4.9% backdated to April 2026. Projections from the union suggest this will climb to an average of 6.6% by April 2027. Under this structure, starting salaries will exceed £40,000, while the most experienced resident doctors will receive a base pay of £76,500, supplemented by additional earnings for unsociable hours.
Dr. Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA resident doctors committee, remarked that the prolonged period of industrial action could have been avoided, noting that the final agreement addresses both physician compensation and the long-term staffing needs of the NHS. The resolution arrives after several years of significant disruption, which saw hundreds of thousands of patient appointments cancelled due to the labor dispute.
