The Department of Health and Social Care has published a letter from Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting to the BMA Resident Doctors Committee, urging it to end strike action and return to negotiations over a rejected deal. In the letter, Streeting said most of the offer remains available, but 1,000 of the planned 4,500 extra training places can no longer be brought forward this year because of the latest industrial action.
The letter, published on 12 April, sets out the government’s position on the latest strike action and outlines the next steps ministers want the BMA Resident Doctors Committee to take.
Streeting said his door remains open to further talks and repeated his request to meet the full Resident Doctors Committee after the current strikes end. He also set out the government’s case that operational disruption and financial pressure on the NHS have changed what can still be delivered this year.
Streeting urges committee back to negotiations
Streeting used the letter to criticise the timing of the latest strike action and to argue that the dispute should be resolved through negotiations rather than further disruption. He said recent discussions with BMA officers had been lengthy, detailed and conducted in good faith before the deal was rejected.
He also said he remains willing to meet both the full committee and its officers to discuss the offer that is still on the table. The letter presents that meeting as the immediate route ministers want to use to try to break the current deadlock.
- Request to meet: Streeting asked the full Resident Doctors Committee to accept a formal meeting request after the current strikes end.
- Government position: Ministers say the dispute should be settled around the negotiating table rather than through continued industrial action.
Why the government says the offer changed
Streeting said most of the rejected deal remains available, but one part can no longer be delivered because of the latest round of strikes. He said the government can no longer bring forward 1,000 of the planned 4,500 extra training places to this year.
The letter says this is not being presented as a punishment, but as a consequence of the operational and financial position facing the NHS. Streeting said the latest disruption has made the accelerated timetable for those places impractical and unaffordable.
- Training places: The overall plan referenced in the letter remains 4,500 extra places, but 1,000 cannot now be moved forward into this year.
- Reason given: The government says strike-related cost and disruption have altered what can be delivered on the original timetable.
Operational and financial impact on the NHS
The letter argues that a six-day strike costs the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds and places extra pressure on providers managing services during disruption. Streeting said money used to cover shifts and respond to operational pressure cannot also be used for patient care, workforce expansion and system modernisation.
He said the extra training places would have depended on NHS providers being able to launch recruitment rounds this month. According to the letter, the strike action has disrupted that process at the point when applications would have needed to open.
Strike Impact on NHS Planning
| Indicator | Recent Movement | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Strike duration | Six-day action referenced | The letter says a six-day strike creates large financial and operational pressure across the NHS. |
| Financial effect | Hundreds of millions of pounds | Streeting said funds used to manage disruption cannot at the same time be invested elsewhere in the service. |
| Recruitment timetable | Applications affected this month | The letter says new training place recruitment would have needed to open now, but disruption has made that impractical. |
What the government says it has already delivered
Streeting said the government has already taken action on one issue raised by resident doctors by commencing emergency legislation to prioritise UK graduates for training places. He said this step was taken without using it as leverage in negotiations.
The letter adds that this change is already reducing competition for training places by almost half. Streeting used that point to argue that the government has continued to act on concerns raised by resident doctors while talks were under way.
The rejected deal and disputed terms
Streeting said the rejected offer would have increased pay, covered mandatory exam costs, improved working conditions and supported career progression. He said the lowest paid FY1 and FY2 doctors would have received rises of at least 6.2% and 7.1% respectively this year.
He also rejected claims that the government moved the goalposts at the last minute. The letter says ministers were clear from the outset that any agreement on pay and nodal point reform would run over three years, covering the financial years 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29.
Offer and Timeline Set Out in the Letter
| Indicator | Recent Movement | Context |
|---|---|---|
| FY1 pay rise | At least 6.2% | Streeting said the rejected deal would have increased pay for the lowest paid FY1 doctors this year. |
| FY2 pay rise | At least 7.1% | The letter says the same deal would have raised pay for the lowest paid FY2 doctors this year. |
| Agreement structure | Three-year period | Streeting said the framework for pay and nodal point reform was always expected to run across three financial years. |
Wider political and workforce framing
Streeting said the government has responsibilities across the full NHS workforce and wider public services, not only to resident doctors. He said ministers must balance affordability, pressures on the taxpayer and the needs of the 1.5 million people who work in the health service.
The letter also frames the dispute as part of the wider effort to stabilise and improve the NHS after a prolonged period of pressure. Streeting said continued industrial action risks making other parts of the deal harder to deliver in the months ahead if further strikes go ahead.
Stakeholder Comments
Ministerial Comments
Wes Streeting, Health and Social Care Secretary said;
“A good first step would be to accept my formal request to meet with your full committee as soon as possible after these current strikes end to discuss the offer on the table and how we can usher in a new era of industrial peace.”
In Conclusion
The letter sets out the government’s position following the latest strikes and links the disruption to delays in expanding training places this year. Ministers say most of the offer remains available and want talks to resume once the current action ends, with a meeting between the government and the full BMA Resident Doctors Committee now the next immediate step.
Sources: Department of Health and Social Care; Wes Streeting letter to the BMA Resident Doctors Committee published on gov.uk
Prepared by Ivan Alexander Golden, Founder of THX News, an independent news organisation delivering timely insights from global official sources. Combines AI-analysed research with human-edited accuracy and context.
