Resident doctors in England have chosen to accept the government’s latest pay and employment offer, their union announced Monday, putting an end to a prolonged labor conflict that has caused significant disruption to the National Health Service.
The British Medical Association reported that 53% of its eligible members approved the deal in a referendum held following the suspension of strike activity earlier this month. Voter turnout reached 57%, with a total of 32,932 doctors participating in the ballot.
Dr. Jack Fletcher said in a statement that the doctors determined the current offer “is sufficient to continue on the road to pay restoration, and sufficient to address the absurd lack of jobs” within the NHS. He added plainly: “The strikes will now end.”
The resolution closes the chapter on a dispute that originated in 2023 under the previous Conservative government and escalated into more than a dozen separate rounds of industrial action over the following years.
Under the approved package, resident doctors will receive a 3.5% pay increase for the 2026/27 period. The broader deal would bring average pay up by 6.6% by April 2027 and includes changes to training structures and career advancement pathways.
Doctors had long maintained that their wages had eroded significantly in real terms since 2008, a grievance that fueled the ongoing conflict across multiple administrations.
Health Minister James Murray had previously stated that the package was crafted to tackle concerns about both pay and staffing levels while keeping costs manageable for the health service. His department had not yet responded to requests for comment following the announcement of the ballot outcome.
