Why are resident doctors striking and what do they earn?

Doctors resident in England provide for a ranging for five consecutive days from July 25, on a dispute with the government.

They say they have not had a “credible remuneration contract” for 2025-2026, but the health secretary Wes Streting argues that the strike is “unreasonable” after a substantial increase in salary in recent years.

The British Medical Association (BMA), a union for doctors, says that the salary of resident doctors will be 20% lower in real terms in 2008, even after an increase in August.

The BMA wants the group – which was known as junior doctors – be brought back online with the level it was 17 years ago, when they say that their salary began to be eroded.

The complaint is based on an inflation measure called retail price index (RPI). This includes housing costs and shows higher price increases than certain other inflation measures.

The BMA stresses that many resident doctors have significant student loans and that interest in this subject is calculated using RPI.

However, the government affirms that RPI is exceeded. Instead, it uses the consumer price index (ICC) to calculate inflation and payment increases. CPI examines the cost of goods and services according to a basket of household items.

Using the measure of the IPC, the government says that the current salary of resident doctors is right.

Analysis of the Nuffield Trust – a health reflection group – suggests that remuneration has dropped by 5% since 2008 if the IPC is used, compared to almost 20% for RPI.

Since 2023, resident doctors have participated in 11 separate strikes, pleading for more equitable remuneration and work conditions.

In 2023-24, over two years, they received a 22%salary increase. From August this year, they will obtain an additional wage increase of 5.4%.

The Secretary of Health, Wes Street, said that resident doctors have received the highest salary increase from all public sector employees in the past three years.

The government says it will no longer offer an increase.

During their first year of foundation after completing their medical resident doctors in England, earn a basic salary of £ 38,831, for an average of 48 hours worked per week. The second year, this reaches £ 44,439.

We expect the doctors to operate night nuts, weekends and longer hours for additional payments.

After eight years as a resident doctor, wages can increase to around £ 70,000.

In May, the government announced that salary increases for a number of public sector workers, including:

• 4% for other doctors, dentists and teachers in England, as well as prison agents in England and Wales
• An increase of 3.25% for civil servants
• An increase of 3.6% for certain members of NHS staff in England, including nurses and midwives
• An increase of 4.5% for members of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, with 3.75% for higher military personnel

However, the BMA arises that resident doctors may have made up more debts than people working in other jobs.

A medical diploma can take five or six years to finish – longer than most other diploma courses.

Resident doctors also say they have little control over where and when they are asked to work. And it can be difficult to put the roots, due to the need to do internships in different parts of the country.

Doctors will organize a raising in England from 07:00 on July 25 at 7:00 a.m. on July 30.

NHS leaders have warned that patient care will be disrupted if the strike takes place.

On strike days, more senior doctors should end up working in an emergency and urgent care to replace striking resident doctors. Consequently, many operations planned must be canceled.

According to government analysis, 507,000 appointments and operations have been canceled and reprogrammed due to strikes by doctors (certain consultants) between July 2023 and February 2024.

Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch accused the Prime Minister of “praised that he had resolved the doctors’ strike” only to take other measures, adding that he had been “weak” in the treatment of doctors.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not affected by these strikes.