Resident doctors cancel strike after new offer from government

Resident doctors in England have called off strikes which were scheduled to begin on Monday.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said the government had "made a new offer" at the last minute.

The walkout had been due to run from 07:00 BST on Monday 15 June until 06:59 Friday 19 June. It would have been the 16th in the long-running dispute over pay.

The action has been called off "while members vote on a new offer covering jobs, pay and progression," the BMA said on Saturday evening.

Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA's resident doctors committee, said: "This should not have been left to the last moment, but we hold up our end of the bargain when the government shifts its position."

Previously known as junior doctors, resident doctors have received pay rises worth 33% over the past four years, including a 3.5% increase this year.

It means starting salaries are now just over £40,000, with the most senior resident doctors getting £76,500 in basic pay. They can earn thousands more each year for things like working unsociable times and additional hours.

But the BMA argues they are still being paid a fifth less than they were in 2008 once inflation is taken into account.

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