Resident doctors in England have announced new strike dates, following the continuing failure of the Government to make a credible offer on jobs or pay.  

The strike will run from 7am on 17th December to 7am on 22nd December.  

The announcement comes as new evidence of the extent of the jobs shortage emerged this month. Thousands of doctors were turned away from Internal Medicine Training posts, with places now so restricted that candidates could have a PhD, have authored a medical textbook chapter and published a scientific paper and still not even get an interview. 

Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA's resident doctors committee (RDC), said:  

“With the Government failing to put forward a credible plan to fix the jobs crisis for resident doctors at the same time as pushing a real terms pay cut for them, we have no choice but to announce more strike dates. 

“However, these do not need to go ahead. Gradually raising pay over a few years and some common-sense fixes to the job security of our doctors are well within the reach of this Government. It would ensure both the long-term strength of our healthcare workforce and spare the country the indignity of seeing unemployed doctors at a time patients are queuing up to even even see a GP.  

“This month we’ve seen the full farcical extent of the jobs crisis, with second-year doctors applying for training posts being asked to provide evidence of experience well beyond what would have previously been asked of them. It is precisely this sort of situation which is driving doctors away from jobs and to the picket line. But it is not too late for Government to get a grip on the situation.” 

Notes to editors