Resident Doctors in England Accept Pay Deal — Three-Year Strikes End
Resident doctors in England have accepted a pay deal, ending the three-year industrial dispute that has resulted in several rounds of strikes since 2022. The deal removes a major operational headache for the NHS and clears the workforce backdrop for the incoming Burnham administration. Health Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed the agreement Monday evening. The settlement covers pay restoration above inflation for the year ahead and a process for further restoration over the coming Parliament. The Northern Ireland resident doctors’ dispute remains unresolved — Stormont has not matched the England offer.
The three-year dispute has been one of the most damaging long-running industrial actions in the NHS’s history. Resident doctors (formerly junior doctors) argued that pay has fallen about 30% in real terms since 2008 and that without restoration the medical workforce risked deteriorating further. The settlement is a meaningful win for Streeting in his final weeks at health before the cabinet reshuffle. Burnham’s incoming health policy will inherit a settled England workforce but an unsettled Northern Ireland one — the cross-UK pay coordination question remains live.