The talks between Health Secretary Wes Streeting and the British Medical Association (BMA) will be in a bid to stop the strike proceedings in England’s NHS next week, the BBC understands.
Resident doctors, earlier known as junior doctors, announced earlier this week that they would last five consecutive days till July 30, about the dispute about salary with the government.
The BMA said the strike would be called only when the next week talks produce a proposal that can put its members.
The government has insisted that it cannot improve its proposal for an increase of 5.4% for this year.
Resident doctors were awarded 5.4% increment for this financial year – which will go into pay packets from August – after 22% increase in the last two years.
But they are arguing that the payment in real terms is still about 20% lower than in 2008 and the government is called to determine a route to restore its value.
They believe that this year’s 5.4% increase does not take them down much below that path.
Sources in the Health Department have told the BBC that the health secretary is sympathetic to improve the condition of working for the doctors, but they will not move on the salary.
After the announcement of the BMA strike, Streeting called the strike “unnecessary and inappropriate”, saying: “NHS hangs from a thread – why are they threatening to pull it on earth?”
He said that the government was “ready and interested” to work with the BMA, but any further strike would be a disaster for the patients and will push back the progress made in reducing the waiting list in England.
BMA resident Doctor Committee co-chairman, Dr. Melissa Ryan and Dr. Ross Neuvdt said on Wednesday that he was abandoned with “no alternative”, but “to restore our salary to strike us in the way to strike without a reliable proposal”.
Lord Robert Winston, a professor and TV doctor who was the leader of IVF treatment, Resigned from BMA On planned attacks on Friday.
In an interview with Times, he urged against strike action and said it could harm people’s trust in the profession.
Resident doctors participated in 11 separate strikes during 2023 and 2024.
Last year, the Labor Government, coming to end the previous attacks, has increased by 22% in two years.
Action in England will not affect the residents of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, who interact directly with their developed governments on salary.
The basic salary of resident doctors in England ranges from £ 37,000 to £ 70,000 per year for a week of 40 hours, which, depending on the experience, works with additional payment to work.
This does not include the latest 5.4% average pay award for this year, which will start paying in wages packets from August.
