Wes Streeting has warned that the public “will not forgive” strike action by resident doctors.
It comes after a British Medical Association (BMA) ballot in which resident doctors in England, formerly known as junior doctors, voted to strike over pay, giving them a mandate for action until January 2026.
The Health Secretary wrote in The Times that walkouts would be a “disaster” for BMA members and patients, saying the Government “can’t afford” pay rises.
He said: “I urge the BMA, even at this late stage, to reconsider this deeply damaging course of action.
“Work with a government that actually wants to work with you: to improve working conditions for staff and care for patients.
“The public will not forgive strike action in these circumstances and nor will I.”
Some 90% of voting resident doctors backed strike action, with the BMA reporting a turnout of 55%.
The union has said that resident doctors need a pay uplift of 29.2% to reverse “pay erosion” since 2008/09.
BMA resident doctors committee co-chairs Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt said: “All we need is a credible pay offer and nobody need strike.
“Doctors don’t take industrial action lightly – but they know it is preferable to watching their profession wither away.
“The next move is the Government’s.”
A Number 10 spokesman said: “We aren’t going to reopen negotiations on pay.
“Resident doctors have received the highest pay award across the public sector for two years in a row, and we’ve been clear that we can’t be more generous than we already have this year.”
Previous strikes by resident doctors and other staff groups saw some 1.5 million appointments, procedures and operations postponed as a result.
The waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England is currently at its lowest level for two years, according to the latest figures, with an estimated 7.39 million treatments waiting to be carried out at the end of April.
Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, which is part of the NHS Confederation, said: “Further strikes are the last thing health leaders wanted and could result in tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of operations and procedures being delayed or cancelled, leaving patients in pain or discomfort.”
Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “A return to industrial action would be a huge setback – bad for patients, for staff and for the NHS.”
In September, BMA members voted to accept a Government pay deal worth 22.3% on average over two years.
And the 2025/26 pay deal saw resident doctors given a 4% uplift plus £750 “on a consolidated basis” – working out as an average pay rise of 5.4%.
The BMA call for a 29.2% uplift is based on Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation, the measure of average changes in the price of goods and services used by most households.
