London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 13, 2025

Strikes Update: How Monday 13 March junior doctors' strike will affect you

Strikes Update: How Monday 13 March junior doctors' strike will affect you

NHS leaders are bracing themselves for a 72-hour strike by junior doctors which begins at 07:00 on Monday.

It's not hard to understand why they're so concerned: junior doctors make up 45% of the medical workforce, two thirds of them are members of the BMA union which is organising the strike, and they're planning on walking out of emergency as well as planned care.

Their action is likely to affect every region in England.

Consultants and other senior doctors are being drafted in to provide cover. Lots of planned appointments are set be postponed - it's not yet clear how many.

Junior doctors say they have no choice but to take this action which, they say, is as much about feeling undervalued and overworked as it is about pay.

More than 36,000 junior doctors are set to strike on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in England.

Consultants will be brought in to provide some cover, but the NHS is warning of "major disruption and thousands of patients may face postponements to their treatment" due to the strike.

The NHS advice is to dial 999 in an emergency and turn up to hospital appointments unless you are told otherwise.

Other things to note are:

*  Emergency care will continue to be available.

*  People needing critical care, newborn baby care, and trauma care will be prioritised.

*  Anyone needing urgent care should dial 111.

*  GP services will not be directly affected by the strike, so people should keep GP appointments.

*  Some hospital dentists will also be on strike.


What do doctors want?


Junior doctors in England want a pay rise of 35%.

The British Medical Association (BMA) calls it pay restoration after cuts of 26% once inflation is taken into account since 2008.

The 35% rise is needed to make up for the 26% cut, it says.


What impact will the strikes have?


Junior doctors represent around 45% of the medical workforce in England.

They include those just out of university through to doctors with 10 years of experience so the strike action will have a major impact.

About two thirds of the junior doctor workforce are BMA members.

They are walking out of both emergency and planned care as well as general practice where some junior doctors will be working as GP trainees.

It means NHS bosses are drafting in consultants and other senior doctors to cover them in emergency care, such as A&E and intensive care.

This will lead to the postponing of lots of planned treatment, such as knee and hip replacements.


Are the two sides talking?


Junior doctor leaders at the BMA have had meetings with ministers and government officials in recent weeks.

But the government says it will not hold formal pay negotiations unless strikes are paused, and the BMA has declined.

Ministers have made it clear they are not willing to meet the pay demands of junior doctors, but do want to "find a fair settlement".

Instead, the government is concentrating on reaching a deal with the 14 health unions representing NHS staff other than doctors after they suspended their strike action.

Talks were held last week with unions representing everyone from nurses and midwives to ambulance staff and physios.

They have involved discussions about effectively offering staff a bonus for this year on top of a 4.75% pay rise and a more generous increase from April for the 2023-24 year - the government has suggested 3.5%, but unions have made it clear they want more.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
×