Streeting Condemns Doctors as 'Reckless' for Striking

Wes Streeting has condemned the decision by resident doctors to "recklessly and needlessly" press ahead with strike action, saying it is "completely unprecedented in the history of British trade unionism".

- Jessica Elgot

In a fiery statement after the British Medical Association (BMA) said there was no offer on the table that could avert the industrial action on Friday, the health secretary said resident doctors were offered changes to working conditions and career progression but had chosen to continue with industrial action.

Streeting said it showed "complete disdain for patients and the wider recovery of the NHS".

The BMA said the offer to talk on working conditions was not enough when doctors' main concern was pay, saying that despite the talks they "did not receive an offer that would meet the scale of those challenges".

It added: "While we were happy to discuss non-pay issues that affect doctors' finances we have always been upfront that this is at its core a pay dispute." Whitehall sources said fury within the Department of Health and Social Care at the BMA was intense and suggested the breakdown in relation ruled out further discussions until after the strike action.

Streeting is understood to have made offers on working condition: and financial pressures, including the cost of exams and working to resolve bottlenecks where qualified doctors are left without jobs.

"We would have kept talking until the last moment," one government source said, but suggested that the doctors' union had known from the start that further pay rises were out o the question. "They led us to believe that there was a deal to work with." As many as 50,000 resident doctor in England, formerly known as junior doctors, are expected to join the industrial action from 7 am on 25 July to 7 am on 30 July. They are demanding a 29% pay rise they say would restore salaries eroded over a decade Streeting said talks had been constructive but suggested goodwill had been squandered by the decision no to pause strike action.