Resident doctors are currently voting on whether to accept a significant offer from the government which would improve their pay, working conditions and career progression. The British Medical Association (BMA) is consulting its members via a referendum, and doctors have until Friday 26 June to vote. A simple majority is needed to accept the offer and bring the dispute to an end long-term. Here we explain what you need to know about the offer – and what it would do for resident doctors. ### **How much do resident doctors currently earn?** Resident doctors have had a 28.9% pay rise over the last three years – the highest anywhere in the public sector. Last year, the basic full-time pay for the newest doctors at Foundation Year 1 was £38,831. Through this offer plus the separate increase recommended by the independent pay review body, that would rise by 6.2% to £41,226. This doesn’t include additional earnings from working additional contracted or unsocial hours. On average, these can increase earnings for FY1 doctors by 26%. That is substantially more, in a resident doctor’s first year, than the average full-time worker in this country earns. Last year, for the most experienced full-time resident doctors, basic pay was £73,992. Through this offer and the DDRB, this would rise 4.5% to £77,348, even before additional earnings are included. ### **How would the offer improve pay?** The offer would deliver meaningful, immediate pay rises while also reforming how pay works in the longer term. This year, resident doctors would receive an average pay rise of 4.9%, bringing the total increase over four years to 35.2%. First and second-year doctors — typically the lowest paid — would receive even higher rises of 6.2% and 7.1% respectively. A full breakdown of the pay structure reform and pay rises over the next two years is available here. Longer term, the offer reforms the pay structure so that doctors receive pay rises more frequently as they gain new clinical competencies, rather than waiting for set points in their career. This June offer brings forward pay scale reform so that resident doctors experience the benefits of the pay rises faster compared with the offer set out in March. On top of this, resident doctors would also receive a further annual pay rise set by the independent pay review body. Because this is decided independently, the exact figure is not yet known - but comes in addition to everything described above. ### **How does the offer improve working conditions?** The offer would also put more money back in resident doctors’ pockets through the reimbursement of mandatory Royal College portfolio fees and mandatory examinations costs, often worth thousands of pounds. It would also uplift the Flexible Pay Premia, which is paid to trainees in England who complete an approved higher degree and returned to clinical training, to £10,000. The offer also provides greater stability for Locally Employed Doctors (LEDs) who are currently employed on a different contract to most resident doctors, allowing them to progress more easily into higher training and improve their terms and conditions so they are aligned with the 2016 national resident doctor contract. Doctors who work less than full time (LTFT) would also be able to progress on an annual basis, giving greater flexibility and fairness for those who need to balance work with other commitments. ### **How does the offer improve career progression?** To tackle training bottlenecks which can hinder career progression, the offer would also trigger the implementation of up to an additional 4,500 training posts over the next three years, with 250 of these roles starting in February 2027. Trusts will be asked to create these roles with funding partially coming from repurposing spending on LEDs, medical locums and agency work. These are the jobs that early-career resident doctors graduate into to train for speciality role, such as being an anaesthetist or orthopaedic surgeon. This builds on the Medical Training Prioritisation Act, the new law this government has already brought in, which is expected to halve competition ratios for this year’s applicants. ### **How long would resident doctors have to wait to feel the impact of these changes?** Different elements of the offer will take different amounts of time. * Pay scale reform will be delivered over 2 years. * Training posts will be increased by up to 4,500 over the next three years, including 1,000 next year. 250 of those will start in February 2027. * Funding for Exam Fees backdated to 01 April 2026. * Funding for Portfolio and Membership fees from 01 April 2027. * An increase to the clinical academic flexible pay premia from 01 April 2027. ### **Is the offer fully funded? How are you affording this offer?** Yes. The offer is fully funded from DHSC’s existing budgets, with no additional cost to patients or taxpayers. Further detail on the funding arrangements will be made available if the offer is accepted. ### **How is this offer different from the one made in March?** The government has carefully listened to feedback provided by the BMA Resident Doctors Committee on behalf of their membership and worked with the BMA to strengthen and clarify the offer originally made in March. ### **What happens if the BMA doesn’t accept this offer?** This is a one-time offer. The impact of further strikes will make it operationally and financially impossible for the government to be able to present such a generous offer again. Faced with further strikes, the offer will get worse, not better.

The Tobacco and Vapes Act received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. The Act ends the advertising and promotion of vaping and nicotine products, herbal smoking products and cigarette papers. Our intention is that this will come into force across the UK from 1 June 2027. This article explains the rationale for these changes, information on the specific changes, and outlines next steps. **Why are we ending the advertising and sponsorship of vaping and nicotine products?** The Government is committed to protecting future generations from the risks of nicotine addiction. Whilst there are some existing advertising restrictions on nicotine-containing vapes, non-nicotine vapes and other nicotine products have no advertising restrictions. Evidence shows that marketing and promotion is a factor behind the rise in youth vaping. In 2025, around 55% of children aged 11 to 17 reported awareness of vape promotion in shops, up from 37% in 2022. Young people are also increasingly aware of the promotion of nicotine pouches, growing from 38% of young people being aware in 2024 to 43% in 2025. Learning from the experience of tobacco control, where partial advertising bans have limited impact, the Government is introducing a comprehensive ban on the advertising and sponsorship of vaping and nicotine products from 1 June 2027 via the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026. The Act has a defence that enables advertising campaigns undertaken on behalf of a public health authority to continue. **What is already in place?** There are long-standing restrictions on tobacco product advertising and sponsorship under the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002. This does not capture herbal smoking products and cigarette papers. Advertising for certain vaping products is already prohibited via the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 for television and radio, in newspapers and magazines, and through most online advertising. There is currently no comprehensive ban on the sponsorship of vaping products and advertising is currently permitted for vaping products on billboards, posters, shop windows and on public transport. There are no current advertising and sponsorship restrictions in place for other nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches. **What is changing?** The Tobacco and Vapes Act introduces a comprehensive ban on the advertising of tobacco products, vaping products, nicotine products, herbal smoking products and cigarette papers, which we intend to bring into effect on 1 June 2027. The ban will make it an offence for anyone in the course of business to: * publish, design, print or distribute an advertisement (or provide an internet service by means of which an advertisement is published or distributed), or cause the publication, designing, printing or distribution of an advert, where the effect is to promote a tobacco product (including heated tobacco), herbal smoking product, cigarette paper, vaping product or nicotine product; and * make a contribution under a sponsorship agreement to which they are a party, where anything done as a result of the agreement is to promote a tobacco product (including heated tobacco), herbal smoking product, cigarette paper, vaping product or nicotine product. The ban includes online advertising, such as paid adverts on websites, as well as advertisements and sponsored posts on social media platforms. Retail websites will still be able to provide factual information about the products they sell. **What about adult smokers who want to quit?** Evidence shows that vapes can play an important role in helping adult smokers to quit. The legislation, therefore, seeks to balance tackling youth vaping with supporting and enabling the role of vapes in smoking cessation. Businesses will still be able to provide factual, non-promotional information about vaping and nicotine products to consumers, including information displayed on websites. However, content designed to encourage or promote the purchase of these products may be captured by the advertising restrictions. Public health authorities aren’t in scope of the offences (if not acting in the course of business). For example, pharmacists and GPs will be permitted to promote non-branded vapes if it is part of an arrangement with a public authority for public health purposes. An exemption is available so businesses can advertise non-branded vapes and nicotine products as part of a public health campaign. For example, pharmacists and GPs can promote vapes where this forms part of an agreed arrangement with a public health authority. **What happens next?** The Government will now prepare the necessary secondary legislation to commence these measures so that they come into effect on 1 June 2027. Alongside this, guidance will be drafted and published ahead of implementation to help businesses prepare for the changes. We will also be working with Ofcom and CAP to ensure that the relevant codes are updated.

The British Medical Association (BMA) has announced another round of strike action by resident doctors. Here, we tell you everything you need to know about the BMA resident doctor strikes, including what patients need to know about their care. ### **Are resident doctors going on strike?** The BMA Resident Doctors Committee has announced another strike from 15-19 June 2026. The BMA Resident Doctors Committee took three rounds of five-day strike action in 2025 (25-30 July, 14-19 October and 17-22 December 2025). They also went on strike for six days from 7-13 April 2026. ### **How much do resident doctors earn?** Basic pay for a new full-time first year doctor will be £40,190 this year. After allowing for the impact of additional earnings, such as for working additional or unsocial hours, we might expect this to increase average earnings to over £50,000. That is substantially more, in a resident doctor’s first year, than the average full-time worker in this country earns. For the most experienced full-time resident doctors, basic pay will be £76,582. After allowing for the impact of additional earnings, such as for working additional or unsocial hours, we might expect this to increase average earnings to over £100,000 ### **What pay rises have they had in recent years?********** Resident doctors have had a 33.4% pay rise over the last four years – the highest anywhere across the public sector. ### **What happens next and what are you doing to stop strikes?** In March, the Government offered a deal which was rejected by the BMA. It included: * An average pay rise of 4.9% this year, making resident doctors on average 35.2% better off than four years ago. * Even higher pay rises on average for the lowest paid FY1 and FY2 doctors – at 6.2% and 7.1% respectively * Starting pay for new graduates entering the profession standing at almost £12,000 higher than in 2022-23, * Reform of the pay structure leading to more frequent pay rises as doctors gain more key competencies and therefore contribute to improving NHS performance and productivity. * At least 4,000 and up to 4,500 additional speciality training posts over the next three years, with at least 1,000 of these brought forward this year to tackle training bottlenecks. * Reimbursement of mandatory Royal College exam fees – saving doctors thousands of pounds. * Substantial contract reforms to benefit locally employed doctors. The Secretary of State has been clear he will honour the existing deal on the table for resident doctors if they call off strikes. It’s not too late for the BMA to come back to the table and work with us to improve working conditions for their members. If the BMA RDC accepts the offer and calls off strikes, the commitment to 4,500 posts will remain. However, it is no longer possible to accelerate posts because of the financial and operational impact of strike action during the application window. ### **Is it true that there’s a doctor employment crisis, and what are you doing to tackle this?** There are record numbers of doctors working in our NHS this year, but we recognise the legitimate concerns resident doctors have raised about access to specialty training places. We invest over £4 billion each year in training the medical workforce, yet homegrown talent has faced worsening bottlenecks for specialty training places since 2020. We have responded to resident doctors' concerns by introducing The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act this year, to prioritise UK medical graduates and others with significant NHS experience for speciality training. This is expected to halve competition ratios. As part of the offer put to the BMA Resident Doctors Committee on 22 March, the government committed to introduce up to 4,500 specialty training places over three years, with 1,000 of these brought forward in a recruitment round this April for an August 2026 start date. The offer is on the table with these 4,500 posts, but we have timed out of bringing these posts forward for this year. ### **Is it true that most resident doctors didn’t vote to strike?** Yes. Of the 81,000 resident doctors working in our NHS, only around a third actually voted for strike action in the BMA’s ballot on pay. Under 50% of BMA members voted in favour of strike action. Because of the turnout (52.5%), under half of resident doctors in the BMA actually voted in favour of strike action (49%). ### **How are you keeping patients safe during strikes?** Our priority is to keep patients safe, and we will do everything we can to mitigate the impact of the strikes on patients and the disruption that will follow. Thanks to the incredible efforts of NHS staff, during the latest round of industrial action from 7th to 13th April 2026, the NHS maintained 94.1% of elective activity, compared with the same period last year. ### **Will my appointment be cancelled during strikes?** Patients with appointments booked on strike days will be contacted if their appointment needs to be rescheduled due to industrial action. If they have not been contacted, they should attend their appointment as planned. Any appointments that need to be rescheduled will be done so as a priority. ### **What if I need urgent medical attention?** It’s important that you do not put off seeking urgent care, and you should turn up for planned appointments unless you have been told otherwise. Anyone who needs urgent care should use NHS 111 online or use the NHS App to be assessed and directed to the right care for them _._ As usual, patients should only use 999 if it is a serious or life-threatening emergency. For more information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E, you can visit the NHS UK website. ### **Should I be worried about falling ill during strikes?** The NHS has tried and tested ways to keep patients safe during strikes. This includes derogations which are exemptions or special arrangements that allow certain essential services to continue operating during industrial action, even when healthcare workers are on strike. When NHS staff take strike action, they work with hospital management to identify critical services that must be maintained to ensure patient safety and prevent serious harm. This ensures that whilst industrial action can proceed to highlight disputes over pay, working conditions, or other issues, patient safety remains the primary concern.

Advice and Guidance (A&G) has been used in the NHS for years. It helps GPs get advice from specialists on a patient’s condition to decide the best course of treatment. The below sets out the facts following media reports. Below is also a letter from the Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting, published in the Daily Telegraph on 31 March, setting the record straight. **Is the government and NHS rationing hospital referrals to meet waiting list targets?** * No – there is no truth to these claims. * Advice and Guidance has been used in the NHS for years. It allows GPs to get expert input from specialists before referring – it does not block referrals. * Clinical decisions remain with GPs, as they always have. If a patient needs a referral, they will get one. * This is about making sure patients get the most appropriate care, including faster treatment in the community where appropriate - not adding people to long hospital waiting lists unnecessarily. * Advice and Guidance is helping patients: As of November 2025, over 2.2 million requests have been made in 2025/26, with around 1.1 million patients treated without needing to join hospital waiting lists – meaning quicker care in the right setting. **Are patients being ‘bounced back’ to GPs to fudge waiting lists?** * No - clinical decisions remain with GPs, as they always have. If a patient needs a referral, they will get one. * If a GP and specialist doctor decide the most appropriate treatment is available in the community – for example a physiotherapist – patients will be referred to the most appropriate care. * This means patients aren’t stuck on hospital waiting lists unnecessarily and they can receive treatment quicker. * It also helps free up hospitals to focus on the most urgent or serious cases, saving NHS time and resources. **What are the benefits of Advice and Guidance?** * Advice and Guidance gives patients faster access to specialist expertise without needing to wait for a hospital appointment. * It helps patients avoid long waiting lists, where a referral isn’t necessary. * Patients can often receive care closer to home, through their GP or community services. * It reduces the need for unnecessary hospital visits, saving time and travel. * Patients benefit from earlier reassurance, advice and treatment, which can reduce anxiety. * It supports joined-up care, with GPs and specialists working together on the best treatment options for patients. * It ensures patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time. * Overall, Advice and Guidance helps make care quicker, more convenient, and more efficient for patients, while still involving specialist input when needed. **_Secretary of State Letter to the Editor of the Telegraph_** Sir, Your report suggesting the NHS is “rationing” hospital referrals is wrong. There is no 1-in-4 target for GPs, and Advice and Guidance (A&G) is not a mandatory hurdle designed to block patients from care. A&G enables GPs to seek rapid input from specialist colleagues before referring, helping ensure patients receive the right care, first time. Clinical judgment remains unchanged: if a patient needs a hospital referral, they will get one. What this means for patients is simple. If you need to see a specialist, you will. But if you do not, you should not have to join a hospital waiting list, only to be bounced back to community services after months of waiting. This policy is helping millions of patients skip the wait and receive faster care closer to home. If the NHS doesn’t reform, it won’t recover. It is therefore disappointing to see the Telegraph and the BMA join forces to oppose reform, when GPs and Telegraph readers are crying out for it. This government is getting the NHS to do things differently– that is why waiting lists are down and patient satisfaction is up. Wes Streeting Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

* Free sugars – sugars added to food or released through processing – are more damaging to health than sugars found naturally in whole fruit, vegetables and dairy. Children are currently consuming **around twice the recommended level of free sugars** , contributing to tooth decay being the leading cause of hospital admissions for five‑ to nine‑year‑olds, and rising rates of obesity. * More than **one in five children leave primary school obese and with tooth decay** , increasing their risk of lifelong conditions such as type‑2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Obesity alone is estimated to cost the NHS **over £9 billion a year**. * There is no single solution to obesity, but evidence shows that **diet is shaped by what children see, where food is placed, and how it is promoted**. Advertising, price and location promotions for unhealthy products influence children’s preferences and purchases from a young age. Many high‑sugar products are also marketed as healthier than they really are, which can mislead parents. * That is why we are consulting on **strengthening advertising and promotions restrictions** on ‘less healthy’ food and drink. We estimate this could prevent **up to 110,000 cases of childhood obesity** and **around 1,700 cases of childhood asthma** , helping give children the healthiest possible start in life. ### **What is already in place** * Current restrictions ban advertising ‘less healthy’ food and drink on TV between **5.30am and 9pm** and paid‑for online advertising at any time, removing an estimated **7.2 billion calories** from children’s diets each year. Promotions restrictions also ban volume price offers and prominent placement in locations such as checkouts and aisle ends, leading to **2 million fewer ‘less healthy’ products sold each day**. * Businesses can still advertise healthier alternatives, and we are encouraging reformulation. This sits alongside wider action, including the **Soft Drinks Industry Levy** , banning the sale of high‑caffeine energy drinks to under‑16s, supervised toothbrushing for young children, and expanded **free school breakfast clubs** and **Healthy Start support**. ### **What we are proposing** * The current system is based on a **nutrient profiling model more than 20 years old** , which does not reflect modern dietary advice. * Since 2015, guidance has been clear that children should eat **less free sugar and more fibre**. The updated model reflects this and better balances beneficial nutrients against salt, sugar and saturated fat. * We are consulting on applying this updated model to existing restrictions. This would bring more products of concern into scope, including some **sweetened cereals and fruit yoghurts marketed to children** , helping parents make more informed choices and reducing children’s exposure to misleading marketing. ### **The evidence** * Advertising and promotions restrictions are designed to reduce children’s exposure to ‘less healthy’ products. Evidence shows this exposure shapes eating habits from a young age and increases the risk of obesity, which is a major driver of ill health in later life. * We estimate that applying the updated model could reduce **childhood obesity by over 110,000 cases** , **adult obesity by almost 520,000 cases** , and deliver **long‑term health benefits worth around £27 billion**.

The Health and Social Care Secretary has accepted the recommendations of The Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB) to confirm pay awards for 2026-27 for doctors and dentists. Recommendations were accepted in February for nurses, midwives and other NHS staff on the Agenda for Change contract. Here, we confirm what these groups will be paid for the next financial year – every group is receiving an above forecast inflation pay rise for the third year in a row A deal to reform resident doctor pay, career progression working conditions has also been rejected by the British Medical Association Resident Doctors Committee (BMA RDC), without giving their members a chance to have their say. Here, we also explain more about what was in the deal. ### **How much are the pay awards?** Doctors and most dentists will receive a headline-pay increase of 3.5 per cent for doctors and certain dentist groups. If the BMAs RDC had given their members a chance to vote to accept the deal put to them by the government, resident doctors on average would have seen a basic pay uplift of 4.9% for 2026/27. Salaried dentists working in Community Dental Services will receive a headline-pay increase of 3.75 per cent. Nurses and other NHS staff including midwives and paramedics have already received their pay award for 2026-2027 – 3.3%. This pay boost will be in pay packets from April for the first time in six years. ### **When will NHS staff receive their pay rise?** Staff on the Agenda for Change contract will see their pay award in pay packets from April for the first time in six years. Secondary care doctors, such as consultants, psychiatrists and surgeons will receive their pay increase from June, which is 2 months earlier than last year. We are working closely with payroll systems to ensure pay uplifts for secondary care staff will be effective from June, which is 2 months earlier than last year. Pay uplifts will be backdated to 1 April 2026 ### **What was in the deal to resident doctors?** Since the start of the year, the government has been engaged in intensive, good-faith talks with the BMA Resident Doctors Committee. We listened carefully to the concerns of resident doctors, on pay, conditions and career progression, and we acted on them. Resident doctors have already received a 28.9% pay rise over the last three years — the most significant uplift anywhere in the NHS and public sector. We have also fast-tracked legislation to prioritise UK medical graduates and doctors with significant NHS experience for jobs, halving competition ratios for training places. On top of this, we pulled every available lever to put forward a generous package that would have genuinely transformed resident doctors working lives and career prospects. This included: * Reform of the pay structure, so resident doctors would benefit from more frequent and fairer pay rises at each stage of their training, as they reach key competencies and enhance productivity. * Combining pay structure reform with the DDRB uplift of 3.5%. * Pay rises over three years baked in, linked to the independent DDRB recommendations, as requested by the BMA. * Starting pay for new graduates entering the profession this year would have been nearly £12,000 higher than four years ago. * Up to 4,500 more specialty training places would have been created over the next 3 years, including 1,000 for this year’s applicants with the additional round of recruitment launching in April. * Reimbursement of costly Royal College exam fees from April this year, which resident doctors currently must pay out of pocket to progress with their training, meaning resident doctors would have been thousands of pounds better off. * Contract reform for locally employed doctors to ensure they also benefit from this new deal. This offer was designed with the BMA leadership, so it’s deeply disappointing that members didn’t get the chance to vote on it. ### **Are resident doctors going to strike again?** The BMA has announced another round of strike action from 7am on 7th April to 6.59am on 13th April. Our attention has now turned to protecting the NHS and minimising the impact of disruption to patients. The NHS has tried and tested ways to minimise disruption. Due to the dedication of NHS staff, the NHS delivered almost 95% of planned activity during the five days of strike action in December- similar to the levels of activity during the November strikes and surpassing levels in July. ### **Why are doctors being given higher pay rises than nurses again?** Each independent Pay Review Body (PRB) makes recommendations based on evidence from government, employers and unions. Different conclusions between PRBs reflect the specific circumstances of each workforce. This year’s pay award for nurses is expected to increase average annual pay to over £39,000. For 1.4 million NHS staff on the Agenda for Change contract, we are working with the NHS Staff Council to reform the pay structure and to prioritise increasing pay for graduates and the lowest paid members of staff.

There have been two periods of strike action this year by resident doctors (25-30 July and 14-19 November 2024. More strikes are planned in December. Here, we tell you everything you need to know about resident doctor strikes, including what patients need to know about their care. ### **When are resident doctors going on strike?** Strikes are planned by the BMA from 7am Wednesday 17 December to 7am Monday 22 December. It’s extremely disappointing that the BMA is planning more strike action in the run up to Christmas and during a flu epidemic, aiming to cause maximum disruption. The Health Secretary and Social Care Secretary offered to extend the BMA’s mandate to postpone strikes until January to protect the NHS – this offer was refused. ### **What happens next and what are you doing to stop strikes?** With waiting lists down by over 226,000 since July 2024, satisfaction with GPs on the up, and 5.2 million appointments delivered in our first year, we are turning the NHS around. There is finally light at the end of the tunnel for the NHS, but the BMA is putting that progress at risk with further strike action. We have been clear that, following a 28.9% pay rise across three years for resident doctors, we cannot go further on pay this year. On 8 December, the Health and Social Care Secretary sent an offer in writing to the BMA Resident Doctors Committee, which would have halved competition ratios for resident doctor jobs by introducing emergency legislation to prioritise UK medical graduates. Unfortunately, on 15 December, the BMA rejected the offer after a short survey of members. The offer is now off the table. We will now consider our next steps, but our priority is dealing with the strikes and keeping patients safe. ### **What was in the offer to the BMA?** Resident doctors have already received an average pay rise of 28.9% over the past three 3 years. The offer made to the BMA last week included: * Introducing emergency legislation to prioritise UK graduates for training places, halving competition ratios. This would have benefitted this year’s applicants. * Expanding the number of new training places to 4,000 * Bringing forward 1,000 of these places for this year’s application window. * Introducing an Alternative Core Training programme, to support locally employed doctors transfer into postgraduate training. * Introducing a suite of non-pay measures, including addressing training and educational costs specific to resident doctors such as exam fees. We offered to backdate exam fees to 1 April 2025. Other measures would be implemented from 26/27. * The allowance for less than full-time doctors would have been increased by 50% to £1,500, providing additional support for these doctors, many of whom are parents and carers, which will help reduce the gender pay gap. ### **How much do resident doctors earn?  ** Resident doctors can increase their pay if rostered during unsocial hours or through working additional hours. The impact of additional earnings means that average earnings for Foundation Year 1 doctors are expected to be around £49,000 increasing to £97,000 for the most experienced resident doctors. That is significantly more, in a resident doctor’s first year, than the average full-time worker in this country earns. ### **What pay rises have they had in recent years?  ** Resident doctors pay has increased by 28.9% across the last three years, thanks to this government. For the second consecutive year, resident doctors received the highest pay increase across the public sector – 5.4% this year. This means they’ve had two years in a row of above inflation pay increases. ### **Is it true that there’s a doctor employment crisis?** There are record numbers of doctors in the NHS – 7000 more doctors than this time last year. However, we know that high competition for specialty training has caused concern, and we are taking steps to address this. By cutting red tape and investing more in our NHS, we have already put over 2,500 extra GPs into general practice to deliver more appointments. Our 10 Year Health Plan also commits to creating 1000 extra speciality training places. In October, NHSE made changes to this year’s specialty training application process to reduce competition and support UK medical graduates. Our offer to the BMA also included introducing emergency legislation to prioritise UK medical graduates – this would have halved competition ratios. It also offered to quadruple the number of specialty training places and bringing 1000 forward to benefit resident doctors applying for roles this year. We want to work with the BMA on this, but their rush to strike action compromises resource which could have been focussed on work to improve conditions and career progression for doctors. ### **How are you keeping patients safe during strikes?  ** The BMA’s decision to go ahead with strikes now is irresponsible. The focus of government and NHS England is now fully on efforts to get the health service through the double disruption of flu and strikes. There are record numbers of doctors in the NHS, thousands more NHS staff than last year have been vaccinated against flu, and the NHS has tried and tested measures to mitigate the impact of strike action. Due to the dedication of NHS staff and a different operational approach from previous strikes, the NHS has significantly reduced disruption to patients during strikes throughout this year. In November, the NHS met its ambitious goal to maintain 95% of planned care during the latest round of strike action – surpassing the 93% protected during action in July – while still maintaining critical services, including maternity services and urgent cancer care. However, all strike action is disruptive, and it's especially worrying during the ongoing flu epidemic. ### **Will my appointment be cancelled during strikes?  ** Patients with appointments booked on strike days will be contacted if their appointment needs to be rescheduled due to industrial action. If they have not been contacted, they should attend their appointment as planned. Any appointments that need to be rescheduled will be done so as a priority. ### **What if I need urgent medical attention?  ** It’s important that you do not put off seeking urgent care, and you should turn up for planned appointments unless you have been told otherwise. Anyone who needs urgent care should use NHS 111 online or use the NHS App to be assessed and directed to the right care for them _._ As usual, patients should only use 999 if it is a serious or life-threatening emergency. For more information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E, you can visit the NHS UK website. ### **Should I be worried about falling ill during strikes?  ** The NHS has tried and tested ways to keep patients safe during strikes. This includes derogations which are exemptions or special arrangements that allow certain essential services to continue operating during industrial action, even when healthcare workers are on strike. When NHS staff take strike action, they work with hospital management to identify critical services that must be maintained to ensure patient safety and prevent serious harm. This ensures that whilst industrial action can proceed to highlight disputes over pay, working conditions, or other issues, patient safety remains the primary concern.

The government’s position on corridor care is below: **Health Minister Karin Smyth said:** “No one should receive care in a corridor - it’s unacceptable, undignified and we are determined to end it. “To tackle a problem you’ve got to be honest about it. For the first time, the NHS will measure and publish the number of patients waiting in corridors. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. “To give patients the care they deserve, we’re investing £450 million to build same day urgent and emergency care centres , buying 500 new ambulances, building 40 new mental health crisis centres, and giving NHS leaders on the ground more power to deliver local solutions. “Ahead of this winter, we urge everyone to protect themselves, their family, and the NHS by getting vaccinated.” The fact sheet below outlines in further detail how the government is tackling this problem:**** **What is “corridor care” and why is it a problem?** Corridor care is when patients are treated or held in hospital corridors because there aren’t enough beds or space. This can affect patient dignity, safety, and the quality of care. The government is committed to ending this practice. **What is being done to increase hospital capacity?** The government is investing in expanding and modernising hospitals, adding more beds, buying and upgrading 500 ambulances and choosing locations for new emergency units. Temporary care units are also being set up to help during busy times. Patients can also get the same level of care and support they would receive in hospital, but at home, through virtual wards, with doctors and nurses keeping track of their health using regular check-ins and remote monitoring. Alongside this, we are also shifting care out of busy hospitals through the role of Community Diagnostic Centres, meaning that patients can get quicker access to the vital tests, checks and scans they need in quicker time. Since July 2024, over 8.7 million tests have been carried out at these sites. Vital schemes, such as Advice and Guidance is also helping to keep patients away from busy hospitals. The process sees GPs and other healthcare professionals seek quick expert advice from hospital specialists, helping patients get the right care faster and often avoiding the need for a hospital appointment. Since April 2025, over half a million patients received more appropriate care in the community, rather than automatically being referred to hospital services thanks to the  scheme. **How are you supporting emergency care?** A&E demand has increased compared to last year but we are making sure more patients are being treated in the right place at the right time, including through Same Day Emergency Care. Patients will soon be able to book into the most appropriate urgent care service for them, via 111 or the NHS App before attending, by 2028. Patients may be redirected to care elsewhere, such as their GP or pharmacy, if not considered an emergency. Through our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan published in the summer, backed by £450 million, we will introduce new Mental Health Emergency Departments to reduce the strain on A&E and ensure patients receive specialist support. Alongside this, we are also buying and upgrading 500 ambulances to ensure that patients can receive quicker pre-hospital care where they need it. The measures this government has taken will not only reduce unnecessary hospital attendance, but also put care in the places people need it, whether that is through the NHS App or in neighbourhood health centres. **How are you supporting NHS staff?** NHS staff are the heart of our health service and programmes to support the mental and physical wellbeing of healthcare workers are being enhanced to improve retention and morale. Alongside this there are national efforts to recruit more doctors, nurses, and healthcare assistants. This year we have seen record numbers of doctors working in the NHS in England, and more doctors working in almost every speciality area than a year ago — on top of this, we have committed to creating 1000 more speciality training places over the next 3 years in our 10 Year Health Plan. There are over 147,000 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors employed by NHS Trusts and integrated care boards in England as of July 2025, almost 6,800 (4.8%) more than a year ago. This includes over 59,000 FTE consultants, over 2,200 (3.9%) more than a year ago. In under 18 months we recruited over 2,500 GPs – smashing through our promise of 1,000 alongside the extra £1.1 billion investment we’ve made in general practice. Over the long-term our 10 Year Health Plan will deliver a revolution in healthcare. It is through the NHS’s workforce that the transformed service will be delivered. To meet this challenge we must create a workforce that is more empowered, more flexible, and more fulfilled.  Over the long-term our 10 Year Health Plan will relieve NHS Staff of the unnecessary bureaucracy and empower them to reshape services to work for their patients. We will work with the Social Partnership Forum to develop a set of Staff Standards so that all staff have access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackle violence, racism and sexual harassment. The Staff Standards will support a workforce model that is fit for the future, where staff wellbeing is more than a ‘nice to have’. **How will patient flow through hospitals improve?** Hospitals are speeding up safe discharges to free up beds for those who need them. They are also working more closely with GPs and community services to help patients leave hospital sooner and avoid unnecessary admissions. We are taking a more collaborative approach to how care is delivered, making it more organised, proactive, and focused on the patient, ensuring teams work together effectively, use data and technology wisely, and allow people to receive the right care at the right time and place. We are also strengthening the use of a _Single Point of Contact_ – for example a dedicated phone number or service that makes it easy for patients, families, or community healthcare teams to get in touch with the right hospital team, ask questions, or get updates about care without needing to make multiple calls. NHS leaders on the ground are being given more power to deliver local solutions, so they can ensure the right plans are in place to be able to support the needs of their local communities. **How are you supporting community services and social care?** Through the 10 Year Health Plan the government is expanding access to community care, urgent treatment centres, and rolling out technology to allow virtual healthcare services to reduce pressure on hospital A&E departments. The shift from hospital to community will give older people more choice in how they access their care and make it more convenient as a wider range of services will be available at home or in the community. Quality of care will also be improved.  The shift from sickness to prevention will ensure older people are supported to maintain their independence with more services coming to them, rather than being delivered in hospital. Our neighbourhood health programme will see 43 hubs covering 12 million people as part of the first phase. Each area will receive £10 million to transform care for people with long term conditions. Around 100 community diagnostic centres now offer services, 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. More funding is going into social care to help people return home safely, especially older and vulnerable patients. Longer-term, we have launched the Casey Commission to build cross-party consensus for a National Care Service. **When will you publish corridor care statistics?** To tackle a problem you’ve got to be honest about it. For the first time, the NHS will measure and publish the number of patients waiting in corridors. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. This Government is committed to tackling the unacceptable practice of corridor care in our NHS. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June, set out steps we are taking, including the commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care. NHS England has been working with trusts since 2024 to put in place new reporting arrangements related to the use of corridor care, to drive improvement.  Subject to a review of data quality, this information will be published shortly, and we will consider how this data could be published on a regular basis. **Will corridor care take over busy hospitals?** We’re working closely with the NHS to prepare for winter - from ‘war game’ exercises, to extra checks for the most vulnerable and rolling out vaccines - to ease pressure on hospitals and ensure patients get the care they need. We’re investing nearly £450 million to expand urgent and emergency care facilities so patients get better, faster emergency care. It’s easier than ever to book vaccine appointments available at GP surgeries, pharmacies and community centres across the country so get vaccinated to protect yourself, and your loved ones this winter. **What about vaccinations?** Vaccines are one of the safest and most effective ways you can do this. They work by providing a barrier of protection to prevent serious illnesses that can cause lifelong problems or even death. This winter the government is ramping up activity ahead of winter more than ever before, encouraging people to ‘Stay Strong. Get Vaccinated’ and getting a flu vaccine is now as easy as ordering food or scheduling an appointment.  Since the start of September, vaccination teams have been rolling out flu vaccines to pregnant women and children across maternity services, in school settings or GP practices, and pregnant women, younger children and those who miss their school or nursery session will also be able to get the vaccine at their local pharmacy or drop-in community clinic. High street pharmacies are now offering flu vaccinations for 2- and 3-year-olds - in addition to the offer for all other eligible adults - in a bid to make it as easy as possible for people to get protected closer to home. Local NHS teams are making getting a catch-up vaccination as easy as possible by hosting community clinics closer to home – with sessions set up in bowling alleys, football pitches, libraries and sports halls. Those eligible for a free Covid-19 vaccine will also be able to find their nearest drop-in clinic via the NHS walk-in finder. This winter, we’re keeping vaccination windows open for longer, with appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations will be available until Friday 30 January 2026, with flu jabs offered until the end of March 2026. **How is technology helping?** A: Hospitals are adopting digital platforms to monitor and manage bed availability in real-time, reducing bottlenecks, while data tools are being used to forecast demand surges and allocate resources proactively and manage patient flow more effectively. We are also investing £20 million so paramedics can access patient records from all NHS services, helping avoid unnecessary hospital admissions. The NHS Federated Data Platform is being rolled out to 85% of acute trusts by March 2026, giving frontline staff a single view of operational systems to manage demand better. Furthermore, national standards for care technology will be set by March 2026 to reduce falls—which cost the NHS £2.3 billion annually —including remote monitoring that has halved falls in care homes, meaning less visits to A&E. **How will progress be monitored?** The NHS has set clear targets and standards, including eliminating corridor care. Hospitals will be regularly inspected, and data on corridor care will be published for transparency.

The British Medical Association (BMA) announced resident doctors strikes from July 25 to July 30 and called further strikes from Friday 14 November to Wednesday 19 November. Here, we tell you everything you need to know about resident doctor strikes, including what patients need to know about their care in the event of future strikes. ### ****What happens next and what are you doing to stop strikes?**** With waiting lists down by over 206,000, satisfaction with GPs on the up, and 5.2 million appointments delivered in our first year, we are turning the NHS around. There is finally light at the end of the tunnel for the NHS, but the BMA is putting that progress at risk with further strike action. We have been clear that, following a 28.9% pay rise across three years for resident doctors, we cannot go further on pay this year. By walking out on strike, the BMA are walking away from an offer to improve resident doctors’ working conditions and create more specialty training roles to progress their careers. This government is clear that it wants to work constructively with all unions to improve working conditions. ### ****What were you discussing with resident doctors?**** This government is fully committed to measures which will genuinely improve the working lives of resident doctors and expand their training opportunities. We cannot move on pay this year. This government is willing to work with the BMA to go further on: * expanding the number of training places * prioritising UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period for specialty training * Introducing a suite of non-pay measures, including addressing training and educational costs specific to resident doctors. The BMA are blocking a better deal for doctors. ### **How much do resident doctors earn?  ** New resident doctors when their additional earning are included earn an average of £49,000 a year, rising to £97,000 for the most experienced resident doctors. That is significantly more, in a resident doctor’s first year, than the average full-time worker in this country earns. ### **What pay rises have they had in recent years?  ** Resident doctors pay has increased by 28.9% across the last three years, thanks to this government. For the second consecutive year, resident doctors received the highest pay increase across the public sector – 5.4% this year. This means they’ve had two years in a row of above inflation pay increases. ### ****Is it true that there’s a doctor employment crisis?**** According to recent UKFPO survey data, 80% of doctors had secured a role post Foundation training by August of the year they graduate from the programme. However, we know that high competition for speciality training has caused concern, and we are taking steps to address this. By cutting red tape and investing more in our NHS, we have already put over 2,500 extra GPs into general practice to deliver more appointments through our Plan for Change. We are creating 1,000 additional training places, taking steps to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period for specialty posts, while conducting a review of postgraduate training to make sure the system works for doctors. In October, NHSE made changes to this year’s specialty training application process to reduce competition and support UK medical graduates. We want to work with the BMA on this, but their reckless rush to strike action compromises resource which could have been focussed on work to improve conditions and career progression for doctors. ### **Is it true that most resident doctors didn’t vote to strike?  ** Yes. Because of the turnout (55.3%), under half of resident doctors in the BMA have actually voted in favour of strike action (49.78%). Of the 77,000 resident doctors working in our NHS hospital and community health services, only around a third actually voted for strike action. The BMA launched a second ballot of first year doctors (FY1s) in autumn. In June 2025 there were over 8,200 FY1 doctors working in NHS Hospital Trusts. With only 3,950 voting in favour of a strike, based on these figures, under half (48%) of FY1s voted to strike in the FY1 ballot. ### **How are you keeping patients safe during strikes?  ** Our priority is to keep patients safe, and we will do everything we can to mitigate the impact of the strikes on patients and the disruption that will follow. NHS leaders have been clear that previous rounds of strike action caused much wider levels of harm than previously realised and there is no reason why planned care for cancer for example should be treated as less important than other NHS services. We know that cancelling non-urgent work comes at a risk to patients too and must not ignore this. Due to the dedication of NHS staff and a different operational approach from previous strikes, the NHS significantly reduced disruption to patients during strikes in July, with early indications showing that 10,000 extra patients receiving care compared to previous strike action. A majority of resident doctors didn’t vote for strike action and data shows that less than a third of residents took part. ### **Will my appointment be cancelled during strikes?  ** Patients with appointments booked on strike days will be contacted if their appointment needs to be rescheduled due to industrial action. If they have not been contacted, they should attend their appointment as planned. Any appointments that need to be rescheduled will be done so as a priority. ### **What if I need urgent medical attention?  ** It’s important that you do not put off seeking urgent care, and you should turn up for planned appointments unless you have been told otherwise. Anyone who needs urgent care should use NHS 111 online or use the NHS App to be assessed and directed to the right care for them _._ As usual, patients should only use 999 if it is a serious or life-threatening emergency. For more information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E, you can visit the NHS UK website. ### **Should I be worried about falling ill during strikes?  ** The NHS has tried and tested ways to keep patients safe during strikes. This includes derogations which are exemptions or special arrangements that allow certain essential services to continue operating during industrial action, even when healthcare workers are on strike. When NHS staff take strike action, they work with hospital management to identify critical services that must be maintained to ensure patient safety and prevent serious harm. This ensures that whilst industrial action can proceed to highlight disputes over pay, working conditions, or other issues, patient safety remains the primary concern.

From Wednesday 1st October, every GP practice in England must keep their online booking open all day during working hours (8am-6:30pm) - no more closing these systems and forcing everyone onto jammed phone lines. This delivers on our manifesto promise to end the 8am scramble - patients can now contact their GP digitally whenever suits them during core hours, not just in that frantic morning rush. It's about choice and convenience - patients can still phone or walk in, but now they've also got the online option available all day. More people requesting bookings online means quieter phone lines for those who need to call. This is nothing new and the evidence shows it works - practices already doing this have seen dramatic improvements. One London surgery cut waiting times from 14 days down to just 3 days, with 95% of patients seen within a week. ### **Won’t this lead to GPs being overloaded with requests?** No. Many GPs have been offering this service, and now it will be provided to patients across the country. Practices who weren’t already offering this service were given 6 months from when the contract was agreed to prepare for this change. Evidence shows that where GP practices have moved to this model, both staff and patients have reported a smoother workflow and a better service. One London GP surgery which adopted this approach to online bookings reduced waits from 14 days to just 3 – with 95% of patients seen within a week. ### **Will this lead to serious cases being missed?** No. This move will support GPs to care for their patients who need non-urgent care. GP websites will feature clear instructions telling patients requiring urgent care to phone their GP or attend in person. There are GP surgeries already successfully rolling out online appointment requests, showing it works for patients and practices. The BMA signed up to and agreed this policy with GPs, and we remain committed to wanting to work together to implement this as efficiently as possible. ### **Is this just more work for GPs with no new funding?** We’ve invested an extra £1.1 billion in general practice – the biggest cash increase in over a decade – and hired over 2,000 extra GPs across England. The new requirement represents best practice which many GP practices across England have already adopted successfully. Of course we'll keep supporting practices throughout implementation, learning from the ones already doing it. ### **Are you listening to the BMA’s concerns?** The BMA signed up to and agreed this policy with GPs, and we remain committed to working together to implement this as efficiently as possible. ### **What are you doing to support GPs?** Fixing the front door of the NHS is a priority for this government, and GPs are front and centre of our 10 Year Health Plan. We have recruited more than 2,300 extra GPs, delivered 8 million more GP appointments this year, and secured a funding boost of over £1 billion for GP practices. Thanks to this record support and the hard work of GPs, public satisfaction with GP services is finally on the rise.

**THE FACTS** * There is no evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism in children. * A major study conducted in Sweden in 2024, involving 2.4 million children found no evidence that paracetamol causes autism in pregnancy. * Untreated pain and fever can pose real risks to the unborn baby, so it is crucial to manage these symptoms with the recommended treatment. Paracetamol continues to be the recommended pain relief option for pregnant women when used as directed. * Patients should not swap to alternatives such as ibuprofen, as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are generally not recommended during pregnancy **Q &A** **Is paracetamol safe to use during pregnancy?** Yes. Current evidence supports the safe use of paracetamol during pregnancy when used as directed.  This advice has been consistent for many years. The MHRA regularly reviews the safety of paracetamol during pregnancy to ensure that the benefits to the paint and unborn baby outweigh any risks. Paracetamol is recommended by NHS guidance as the first-choice painkiller for pregnant women, to be used at the lowest dose and for the shortest duration. If pain does not resolve then patients are advised to seek advice from their healthcare professional. **Should pregnant women stop taking paracetamol?** No. Pregnant women should continue to follow current medical guidance. Paracetamol remains a recommended painkiller during pregnancy when used as directed. Women with concerns should speak to their healthcare professional rather than stopping medication without medical advice. **Will the MHRA review its guidance following the US announcement?** No. The MHRA carefully monitors new evidence on the safety of medicines and takes action when evidence shows a potential risk to patients. In the case of paracetamol use in pregnancy, recent studies, including the one published in August, have not established a direct relationship between paracetamol use during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism. **Does the MHRA only act when a causal link is proven?** No. The MHRA carefully monitors new evidence on the safety of medicines and takes regulatory action when of evidence shows a potential risk to patients, which exceeds the potential benefits. It continuously monitors emerging data and will introduce safety measures when warranted to protect public health. **How does the MHRA monitor medicine safety in pregnancy?** The MHRA has comprehensive systems including the Yellow Card Scheme for reporting suspected side effects, analysis of healthcare databases, and review of international evidence. MHRA works closely with healthcare professionals and regularly update guidance when new evidence emerges.

The British Medical Association (BMA) announced resident doctors strikes from July 25 to July 30. Here, we tell you everything you need to know about resident doctor strikes, including what patients need to know about their care in the event of future strikes. ### **Will there be more resident doctor strikes?  ** There are no further strikes currently planned by the BMA. The Secretary of State and the BMA have agreed to continue engagement through the summer with the aim of preventing further disruption to the NHS and patients. The BMA has a 6-month mandate – this means that it has a legal right to announce more strikes until 6 January 2026, but the Secretary of State has been clear that he wants to work with the BMA to improve the working lives of resident doctors and put an end to strikes. ### **What happens next and what are you doing to stop strikes?** With waiting lists the lowest they have been in two years, satisfaction with GPs on the up and 4.6 million appointments delivered in our first year, we are turning the NHS around. There is finally light at the end of the tunnel for the NHS, but the BMA would be putting that progress at risk with further strike action. The government will continue to engage with the BMA through the summer with the aim of preventing further disruption to the NHS and patients. We have been clear that, following a 28.9% pay rise across three years for resident doctors, we cannot go further on pay this year. However, there is shared ambition to explore and address some of the unique additional costs that resident doctors experience through their training and work, alongside creating extra roles to deal with the bottlenecks that hold back doctors’ career progression. ### **How much do resident doctors earn?  ** The average annual earnings per first year resident doctor last year was £43,275 – that is significantly more, in a resident doctor’s first year, than the average full-time worker in this country earns. Resident doctors in their second year earned an average of £52,300 last year and at the top end of the scale, resident doctors in specialty training earned an average almost £75,000. Pay is set to increase further with this year’s 5.4% pay award. ### **What pay rises have they had in recent years?  ** Resident doctors pay has increased by 28.9% across the last three years, thanks to this government. For the second consecutive year, resident doctors received the highest pay increase across the public sector – 5.4% this year. This means they’ve had two years in a row of above inflation pay increases. ### **Is it true that most resident doctors didn’t vote to strike?  ** Yes. Because of the turnout (55.3%), under half of resident doctors in the BMA have actually voted in favour of strike action (49.78%). Of the 77,000 resident doctors working in our NHS hospital and community health services, only around a third actually voted for strike action. ### **How are you keeping patients safe during strikes?  ** Our priority is to keep patients safe, and we will do everything we can to mitigate the impact of the strikes on patients and the disruption that will follow. NHS leaders have been clear that previous rounds of strike action caused much wider levels of harm than previously realised and there is no reason why planned care for cancer for example should be treated as less important than other NHS services. We know that cancelling non-urgent work comes at a risk to patients too and must not ignore this. Due to the dedication of NHS staff and a different operational approach from previous strikes, the NHS significantly reduced disruption to patients during strikes in July, with early indications showing that 10,000 extra patients receiving care compared to previous strike action. A majority of resident doctors didn’t vote for strike action and data shows that less than a third of residents took part. ### **Will my appointment be cancelled during strikes?  ** Patients with appointments booked on strike days will be contacted if their appointment needs to be rescheduled due to industrial action. If they have not been contacted, they should attend their appointment as planned. Any appointments that need to be rescheduled will be done so as a priority. ### **What if I need urgent medical attention?  ** It’s important that you do not put off seeking urgent care, and you should turn up for planned appointments unless you have been told otherwise. Anyone who needs urgent care should use NHS 111 online or use the NHS App to be assessed and directed to the right care for them _._ As usual, patients should only use 999 if it is a serious or life-threatening emergency. For more information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E, you can visit the NHS UK website. ### **Should I be worried about falling ill during strikes?  ** The NHS has tried and tested ways to keep patients safe during strikes. This includes derogations which are exemptions or special arrangements that allow certain essential services to continue operating during industrial action, even when healthcare workers are on strike. When NHS staff take strike action, they work with hospital management to identify critical services that must be maintained to ensure patient safety and prevent serious harm. This ensures that whilst industrial action can proceed to highlight disputes over pay, working conditions, or other issues, patient safety remains the primary concern.

The British Medical Association (BMA), has announced that resident doctors – formerly known as junior doctors – will be striking from July 25 to July 30. Here, we tell you everything you need to know about resident doctor strikes, including what patients need to know about their care during strikes. ### **When are resident doctors going on strike?** Resident doctors will strike for 5 days in July. The strike will start at 7am on Friday 25 July and continue until 7am on Wednesday 30 July. ### **Is my appointment being cancelled?** Patients with appointments booked on strike days will be contacted if their appointment needs to be rescheduled due to industrial action. If they have not been contacted, they should attend their appointment as planned. Any appointments that need to be rescheduled will be done so as a priority. ### **What if I need urgent medical attention?** It’s important that you do not put off seeking urgent care, and you should turn up for planned appointments unless you have been told otherwise. Anyone who needs urgent care should use NHS 111 online or use the NHS App to be assessed and directed to the right care for them _._ As usual, patients should only use 999 if it is a serious or life-threatening emergency. For more information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E, you can visit the NHS UK website. ### **How are you keeping patients safe during strikes?** Our priority is to keep patients safe, and we will do everything we can to mitigate the impact of the strikes on patients and the disruption that will follow. NHS leaders have been clear that previous rounds of strike action caused much wider levels of harm than previously realised and there is no reason why planned care for cancer for example should be treated as less important than other NHS services. We know that cancelling non-urgent work comes at a risk to patients too and must not ignore this. That’s why we are taking a different approach this year, and the NHS is planning for as many patients as possible to be cared for. ### **Should I be worried about falling ill during strikes?** The NHS has tried and tested ways to keep patients safe during strikes. This includes derogations which are exemptions or special arrangements that allow certain essential services to continue operating during industrial action, even when healthcare workers are on strike. When NHS staff take strike action, they work with hospital management to identify critical services that must be maintained to ensure patient safety and prevent serious harm. This ensures that whilst industrial action can proceed to highlight disputes over pay, working conditions, or other issues, patient safety remains the primary concern. ### **How much do resident doctors earn?** We expect the average full-time basic pay of a resident doctor will reach about £54,300 in 2025-26. That doesn’t include overtime, and many will earn much more than this, with the top of the basic pay scale being £73,992 The average starting salary for a full-time Resident Doctor is now around £38,800, up from around £29,380 in 2022/2023 – an increase of nearly £9,500. ### **What pay rises have they had in recent years?** Resident doctors pay has increased by 28.9% across the last three years. For the second year in a row, resident doctors received the highest pay increase across the public sector – 5.4% this year. This means they’ve had two years in a row of above inflation pay increases. ### **Is it true that most resident doctors didn’t vote to strike?** Yes. Because of the turnout (55.3%), under half of resident doctors in the BMA have actually voted in favour of strike action (49.78%). Of the 77,000 resident doctors working in our NHS hospital and community health services, only around a third actually voted for strike action. ### **Will there be more strikes?** The BMA has a 6-month mandate – this means that they have a legal right to announce more strikes until 6 January 2026. The Secretary of State has been clear that he wants to work with the BMA to improve resident doctors working lives and put an end to strikes. ### **What are you doing to stop strikes?** After delivering two years in a row of the highest pay increases across the public sector, the Secretary of State has been clear that he couldn’t move on pay for resident doctors. The Secretary of State and the BMA had constructive talks over the last week, with the opportunity for the BMA to work with the Department of Health on a range of options that would have made a real difference to resident doctors’ working conditions. This includes creating extra roles to deal with the bottlenecks that hold back doctors’ career progression, tackling costs of mandatory exams and equipment, and work to reduce the additional burden of rotations. Unfortunately, the BMA decided to walk away from the offer of further talks and proceed with strike action. Our focus now is on protecting patient safety as strikes take place. ### **What happens next?** With waiting lists the lowest they have been in two years, satisfaction with GPs on the up and 4.6 million appointments delivered in our first year, we are turning the NHS around. There is finally light at the end of the tunnel for the NHS, but the BMA is putting that progress at risk. This government wants to work constructively with the BMA to improve working conditions for resident doctors. By refusing to do so, the BMA will cause unnecessary disruption to patients, put additional pressure on their NHS colleagues and not take the opportunity to improve their own working conditions. Our attention will be now on averting harm to patients and supporting NHS staff at work.

## **Patients** **Summary** Our health system is in crisis. If we don’t act now, we risk the NHS ceasing to exist as a publicly funded service, free at the point of use. But if we seize the opportunities provided by new technology, medicines, and innovation, then we can deliver better care for all patients - no matter where they live or how much they earn - and better value for taxpayers. Our 10 Year Health Plan, backed by £29b, will get the NHS back on its feet and to make it fit for the future. Here's what we're doing: **From hospital to community ** * Easier to see your GP and end the 8am scramble for appointments, through more GPs, longer opening hours and a guaranteed online appointment in 24 hours. * A Neighbourhood Health Centre in every community, open six days a week, 12 hours a day and staffed by GPs, nurses, care workers, physios, mental health workers and employment advisors. * NHS dental appointments thanks to new dental contracts tying newly qualified dentists to the NHS. * Faster referrals to specialists, prescriptions from your pharmacist and 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres and dedicated mental health emergency departments. **From analogue to digital** * A digital single patient record will spare you repeating yourself and allow clinicians to design care around you. * AI-assisted doctors and self-referrals at your fingerprints through the NHS App, self-referral for talking therapies, and digitised therapies. * A digital red book will keep your children’s health information in one place. **From sickness to prevention ** * A partnership with supermarkets to set new standards for healthy options - making the healthy choice the easy choice for families. * A ban on energy drinks and a smoke free generation. * Expansion of weight loss services and treatments to tackle obesity. * New screening programmes, including home kits to test for cervical cancer. * More financial support for those on low incomes to help give kids the healthiest start in life. * More Mental Health Support Teams in schools. ##

The Health and Social Care Secretary has accepted the recommendations of the independent pay review bodies to confirm pay awards for 2025-26 for doctors, nurses, dentists, and other NHS staff. This confirms what these groups will be paid for the next financial year – every group is receiving an above inflation pay rise for the second year in a row. Here’s what you need to know about NHS pay awards. ### **How much are the pay awards?** Resident Doctors will see their pay rise by an average of 5.4% (a 4% rise plus a consolidated payment of £750). We are also funding a pay rise of 4% for consultants, specialty doctors, specialists and GPs, with dentists also receiving a contract uplift to increase their pay. Agenda for Change (AfC) staff, which includes nurses, health visitors, midwives, ambulance staff, porters and cleaners will see their pay rise by 3.6%. Very Senior Managers (VSMs) are receiving an award of 3.25% . ### **Why are doctors being given higher pay rises than nurses again?** Each independent Pay Review Body (PRB) makes recommendations based on evidence from government, employers and unions. Different conclusions between PRBs reflect the specific circumstances of each workforce. Following last year's 5.5% award, we are accepting the recommendations of the NHSPRB (the pay review body which sets pay for Agenda for Change staff including nurses), based on evidence submitted by government, employers and unions, to give Agenda for Change staff, including nurses, an uplift of 3.6% for 2025-26. This means more money in nurses’ pockets. The average starting salary for a nurse will now be around £31,050, up from around £27,050 in 2023. We've also committed to issuing the NHS Staff Council with a funded mandate for 2026/27 to begin to resolve outstanding concerns within the Agenda for Change pay structure, including issues with pay banding and career progression. ### **Are resident doctors going to strike again?** In April, the BMA announced its intention to ballot its members for strike action, with the ballot opening on 27 May and closing on 7 July. We want to work constructively with all unions to avoid disrupting patient services and it's disappointing that the BMA chose to ballot members before even knowing the pay rise. The resident doctor pay award for 2025/26 is an average of 5.4% (4% plus a consolidated payment of £750, with a range of between 5.1% and 6%). This above inflation uplift is the highest across the public sector. This builds on last year's pay deal, which resident doctors voted to accept and means Resident Doctors have seen an average increase in pay of 28.9% over the last three years. We expect the average full-time basic pay of a resident doctor will reach about £54,300 in 2025-26. ### **Are the pay awards fully funded?** Yes – the pay award will be fully funded. ### **How are you affording this pay rise?** The Chancellor has been clear that departments would need to find savings to afford pay awards. We are eliminating waste and low-value spending across the health sector, including reducing Integrated Care Board costs by 50%. Every penny saved is being redirected to support frontline services and staff, which includes these pay awards. These increases are essential for recruiting and retaining the talented staff we need to create an NHS fit for the future. ### **When will NHS staff receive their pay rise?** Staff will receive their pay uplifts from August – two months earlier than last year. Pay uplifts will be backdated to 1 April. Looking ahead, we're committed to improving this timeline further by remitting the health Pay Review Bodies for 2026/27 in July, with an ambition to implement pay awards as soon as possible in 2026/27. ### **What else are you doing to ensure working in the NHS is an attractive profession?** With NHS staff, we have already delivered over 3.5 million more appointments and cut waiting lists by over 200,000 since July 2024. Working together, we are creating a healthcare system that works for both staff and patients. Just some of the measures we’ve put in place to improve working conditions include: * Reviewing rotational training and training bottlenecks, with action on each due to be announced later this year. * A package to tackle violence against staff. * Reform to exception reporting, the system by which doctors report additional hours worked and safety concerns. * The Post Graduate Training Review, overseen by Sir Chris Whitty, which plans to improve the working lives of resident doctors, enhance career progression and flexibility. * New legislation making it a criminal offence for unqualified individuals to use the "nurse" title and mislead the public. * The Employment Rights Bill which will address one sided flexibility, ensure workers get fair pay, promote fairness, equality and wellbeing of workers, modernise trade union legislation and improve employment right enforcement.

You may have heard that a small minority of people have not been invited to screening appointments because of an error in how GP offices have registered them. This issue affects screening invitations for bowel cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and abdominal aortic aneuryism screening. Other screening programmes have not been impacted. Since this issue was spotted, we have worked with NHS England to quickly resolve the underlying issue and put a plan in place for those affected. From this week, everyone affected by this issue will receive a letter with more information on how to access their missed screening and the support that available for those affected. We understand this may be unsettling news, and that you may have some questions. We hope this post helps answer some of those questions. **Have I or someone I know been affected?** NHS England has now identified all of the people that have been affected by this issue and their addresses. Anyone that has been affected will receive a letter from the NHS, which will include information on how to book a missed screening appointment or access the relevant services. If you have any concerns about this issue, NHS England’s dedicated helpline is available Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm at 0345 877 8962. **I haven’t received a letter, but I think I have missed an invitation?  ** Everyone who has been affected will be contacted via letter by the end of next week, to the address held by their GP. If you think you have missed an invitation and have not received a letter, please contact your GP practice directly. **Which screening programmes have been affected?**  We can confirm that only a small minority of patients eligible for the following screening programmes have been affected: * **Cervical screening:** women (and anyone with a cervix) between the ages of 25 and 64 are invited to attend a screening appointment. This used to be called a 'smear test'. * **Bowel cancer screening:** anyone between the ages of 54 to 74 is sent a home testing kit every 2 years, which involves sending a stool sample. * **Breast cancer screening:** anyone registered as female between the ages of 50 and 71 are invited for a mammogram every 3 years. * **Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening:** men aged 65 are invited for an ultrasound scan of the abdomen.  Other types of screening programmes have not been affected.  **Why did this happen?**  The error behind this problem occurred when patients had registered at a new GP practice and key data relevant for screening was not entered or was incorrect. A patient was not informed of this error, and it did not affect their access to other NHS services because the issue only relates to a validation process specific to transferring patient details to the NHS screening IT system. NHS England has assured us that this issue has now been rectified and that incomplete or inaccurate data will be flagged and corrected promptly. We are working closely with GP practices and regional health providers to ensure records are kept accurate up to date.