Wes Streeting says striking doctors ‘will lose a war with this government’ | Wes Streeting

The physician union “will lose a war with this government,” said Wes Streting, adding that the NHS is ready to finish an extended series of strikes from the British Medical Association (BMA).

Until now, in his most frank comments on the dispute involving resident doctors in England, the Secretary of Health has promised that the Labor Party would never give in to their request for a salary increase of 29%.

However, in a BMA advocacy, he urged him to conclude an agreement based on the fight against other frustrations that these doctors have, separated from their wages, in which the two parties “would gain peace”.

New discussions are scheduled for next week. In order for them to have a chance of success, the BMA said, the BMA should agree that it will no longer call strikes and accept that other NHS staff also deserve decent salary increases, not only doctors, who are already paid more than many colleagues.

“It should be clear for the BMA now that they will lose a war with this government. It is not too late for us both to win peace,” said Streting in an element of opinion for The Guardian.

This occurs after the end of a five -day stop by thousands of resident doctors who disrupted the NHS services, including cancer care between Friday and Wednesday morning.

“All I ask for the BMA is two things. The first is to abandon this useless and unreasonable rush to strike action. He has Mars doctors, it harms patients and he is fundamentally self-deficit because she leaves the NHS with less money to solve the problems that doctors care, “said Streting.

“The second is to recognize that this government has a responsibility for all NHS staff and, above all, for patients. We cannot repair everything for everyone everywhere at the same time. ”

The chances that the negotiations succeed seem to be slim. Rejecting a potential agreement based on unpaid problems such as doctors that can access hot food at night and covered part of their examination costs, a spokesperson for the BMA said: “It is still mainly a remuneration dispute and we do not accept that there is no room to move on remuneration. We need a credible offer on a path to pay catering. ”

The BMA says that resident doctors deserve such a salary increase, despite an increase of 22% in the past two years, because the real value of their wages since 2008 has been strongly eroded. The union undertook to strike until it reached “complete restoration of remuneration”.

Dr. Ross Nieuwoudt and Dr. Melissa Ryan, the co-chairs of the BMA resident doctors committee, insisted that streeting had to find a way to increase their 5.4% remuneration price for 2025-26. The end of the five-day strike must be “for a moment for the Secretary of Health to reconsider his strategy,” they said.

If he makes an indefinite “credible offer” to remuneration, they said that the raising this week – the 12th by resident doctors and formerly juniors since 2023 – could be their last.

In the Street article, he too:

• Accused the BMA of having caused “damage” at the NHS through its “reckless” long rating.

• Said he deliberately sought to ruin through the strikes of the NHS effort to reduce his backlog at 7.4 m, that work has committed to eradicating by 2029.

• Said that the BMA’s 29% demand and strike had left other members of the NHS “dismayed and dismayed” NHS.

Streetting, a kidney cancer survivor, told how he had spoken last weekend to a patient with the same disease whose operation was postponed until the end of next month due to the strike. Patients whose care had to be reprogrammed were found with “fear and anxiety” accordingly, he said.

In the remarks which can be interpreted as implying the demand of 29% of the BMA is greedy, the street stressed that other health unions such as the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and in unison were not satisfied with the price of remuneration of their members – of 3.6% – but did not seek the same huge increase as the BMA and were not engaged in the same “rush” industrial.

The RCN will publish the result of an indicative vote on Thursday that she led among the nurses in England, in Wales and Northern Ireland, who is already known to have resulted in a majority against the price of 3.6%.

The hospital’s bosses have clearly told the BMA that he had to accept what Streting has insisted on several occasions and that resident doctors will not force him to grant a larger price for this year.

Rory Deighton, Director of Acute and Community Care at the NHS Confederation, which represents the trustee of the NHS hospital, said: “After a week of services disruption, the Health of Health will be delighted that the BMA wishes to resume discussions. But it must recognize the red lines established by the government, because the NHS must live in its means.

“We hope it [exchange of letters] Mark the beginning of a dialogue that can solve this problem without other debraying that would only see patients end up suffering the most. »»

Quick guide

Contact us about this story

To show

The best journalism of public interest is based on first -hand accounts of people at the current.

If you have something to share on this subject, you can contact us confidentially using the following methods.

Secure messaging in the Guardian application

The Guardian application has a tool to send advice on stories. The messages are from end to end encrypted and hidden in the routine activity that each Guardian mobile application performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us, not to mention what is said.

If you don’t already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS / Android) and go to the menu. Select the “secure messaging”.

Securedrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and publication

See our guide on TheGuardian.com/Tips for alternative methods and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Illustration: Guardian Design / Rich Cousins