GP registrars have voted to strike from Friday 25 July for five days following a ballot of resident doctors that included registrars.
Action is scheduled to start at 7am on Friday and end at 7am the following Wednesday.
It follows a ballot of 55.3% of resident doctors, 90% of whom voted to set a mandate for industrial action unless the Health Secretary intervenes.
The British Medical Association is calling for pay restoration for resident doctors including GP registrars. GP registrars in ST1-2 on the 2016 contract earn £49,909 and ST3s earn £61,825.
Pay erosion is not the only thing on GP registrars’ minds this summer. Last May, the BMA warned the Secretary of State for Health that as many as ‘a thousand’ new GPs could enter the job market with nowhere to go when they qualify this summer.
Talks with the Health Secretary last Thursday hinted at the possibility of averting strikes, for example through changes to residents doctors’ student loan debt.
Dr Richard Fieldhouse, NASGP chair, said: “This is a tricky situation. There’s growing public resentment towards resident doctors due to their strike action, especially considering their pay settlement last year.
“However, pay erosion has significant long-term negative effects on morale, recruitment, and retention, all of which impact clinical performance and will have consequences down the line.
“It’s always right to treat a workforce fairly and equitably, and resident doctors clearly feel deeply aggrieved that their pay hasn’t been restored. There is still time for the government and BMA to reach an agreement before this impending action.”