Dr Dean Eggitt
GP | Teacher | Politician | Speaker
- September 10, 2025
- 6:30 pm
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Hot topics - Junior Doctor Strikes Explained
The NHS is rarely out of the headlines – but few issues cut to the heart of life as a doctor quite like the junior doctor strikes. For anyone aspiring to join the profession, these walkouts are more than a news story: they’re a window into the pressures, politics, and principles that shape modern medicine. Understanding why doctors take industrial action, how it affects patients, and what it reveals about the healthcare system isn’t just useful background – it’s the kind of insight that can make the difference in a medical school interview and help you step confidently into medicine’s complex, ever‑shifting landscape.
If you’re applying to medical school, you’ll be expected to show you understand not just the science of medicine, but the real‑world pressures shaping the NHS. The recent junior doctor strikes are a live example of how workforce issues, politics, and patient care intersect – and they’re exactly the kind of “hot topic” that can come up in interviews.
"Recent junior doctor strikes in the UK have resulted in thousands of cancelled or postponed patient appointments. As a future doctor, how would you balance the ethical duty to provide patient care with the right to advocate for fair working conditions, including industrial action?"
What Happened?
From 7 am on Friday 25 July to 7 am on Wednesday 30 July 2025, tens of thousands of junior doctors (officially called resident doctors in England) staged a five‑day full walkout – one of the longest in NHS history.
- Scale of action: Up to 50,000 doctors took part.
- Impact on patients: NHS England reported 54,095 inpatient and outpatient appointments rescheduled across the UK.
- Local example: In Nottinghamshire alone, nearly 1,500 appointments were moved.
- Emergency cover: Urgent and emergency care continued, but routine services were heavily disrupted.
Why Are They Striking?
Since 2008, the British Medical Association (BMA) has argued that junior doctors’ pay has eroded significantly in real terms, falling by around 20% once inflation is taken into account. From their perspective, this decline represents a substantial loss of value in the profession’s earning power, with serious implications for retaining and attracting medical talent. In response, they are demanding what they describe as “pay restoration” – a 29% increase designed to reverse that long-term reduction and bring salaries back in line with where they believe they should be.
The government, however, presents a very different picture. Ministers highlight that junior doctors have already received cumulative pay rises amounting to 28.9% over the past three years, which includes an uplift of 5.4% for the current year. They insist that there is no scope to go further on pay this year, pointing instead to a willingness to address other aspects of the profession that do not directly involve salary. These include tackling issues such as the cost of training and easing the bottlenecks in career progression – factors they argue also influence job satisfaction and retention.
The Wider Issues
While the junior doctor dispute is often framed in terms of pay, the underlying issues run far deeper into the fabric of the NHS and its ability to function effectively. At its heart is a concern about workforce retention: without competitive pay and conditions, there is a growing risk that highly trained doctors will be tempted to leave the UK altogether, seeking better‑paid and less pressurised roles overseas. This attrition not only drains the system of valuable experience but also undermines efforts to maintain a stable, skilled workforce for the future.
Alongside pay, working conditions remain a serious point of contention. Many junior doctors report enduring long shifts, unpredictable rotas, and persistent staffing gaps – conditions that take a toll on morale and wellbeing. These pressures feed into broader safety concerns, as an overstretched and fatigued workforce is more prone to error, potentially compromising patient care. From the doctors’ perspective, the strikes are not just about immediate disruption, but about safeguarding the long‑term quality and sustainability of patient services.
There is also the matter of how the dispute plays out in the court of public opinion. Industrial action inevitably interrupts services and can dent public trust, especially when it affects access to care. Yet for some, the strikes serve as a necessary spotlight on systemic problems that have been allowed to fester – problems that, if addressed, could lead to a healthier NHS for staff and patients alike. In this way, the debate goes beyond salary tables, touching on the very conditions needed to keep the health service safe, credible, and fit for the future.
How This Might Come Up in Interviews
Medical school interviewers could ask:
- “What do you know about the recent junior doctor strikes?”
- “Do you think doctors should strike?”
- “How would you balance patient care with advocating for change?”
Strong answers will:
- Show you understand both sides of the argument.
- Recognise the ethical complexity – patient care vs. professional rights.
- Link to NHS values like compassion, respect, and commitment to quality of care.
- Use specific facts (e.g. dates, numbers, key arguments) to demonstrate awareness.
Key Facts to Remember
| Detail | Figure / Info |
|---|---|
| Strike dates | 25–30 July 2025 |
| Duration | 5 days (full walkout) |
| Number of doctors | Up to 50,000 |
| Appointments rescheduled (UK) | 54,095 |
| Pay rise over past 3 years | 28.9% |
| BMA pay demand | 29% (“pay restoration”) |
| Real‑terms pay drop since 2008 | ~20% |
Takeaway for Future Doctors
Whether or not you agree with the strikes, they highlight a truth you’ll live with throughout your career: medicine exists within a political, economic, and social framework. Understanding that – and being able to discuss it thoughtfully – will set you apart in interviews and help you become a more rounded, resilient doctor.
"I’m aware that the most recent junior doctor strikes took place between 25 and 30 July 2025, lasting five full days, and involved up to 50,000 doctors across England. They were organised by the British Medical Association, which argues that junior doctor pay has fallen by around 20% in real terms since 2008, and is seeking a 29% ‘pay restoration’. The government points to a near‑29% pay rise over the past three years and says it can’t go further this year. The strike led to over 54,000 appointments being rescheduled, although emergency and urgent care continued. For me, this raises important ethical considerations. Doctors have a duty of care to patients, and strikes inevitably cause short‑term disruption and inconvenience, which can impact health outcomes. However, the principle of advocating for safe staffing and fair pay also protects patients in the long term - if working conditions drive doctors away, the NHS will face ongoing shortages and higher risk of burnout among those remaining. In balancing these, I acknowledge the ethical tension between non‑maleficence - avoiding harm - and justice, which includes fair treatment of staff. Strikes are a last resort after negotiations fail, and in this case emergency cover was maintained to safeguard the most urgent care. As a future doctor, I think it’s important to understand both sides: the government’s responsibility to balance budgets and maintain services, and the profession’s right to stand up for conditions that make safe, effective care possible."