NHS protected thousands more appointments during doctors strike

4 Aug 2025 01:06 PM

NHS protected thousands more appointments during doctors strike. 

• Based on early estimates over 10,000 extra patients received their care during last week’s BMA strike [25 July 2025 – 30 July 2025] compared to the previous industrial action [27 June 2024 – 02 July 2024].
• The NHS took a more robust approach during the latest round of industrial action with staff from right across the NHS working round the clock to keep services open for patients.
• The NHS maintained 93% of planned care during the action meaning operations, tests and procedures were carried out despite the disruption, as well as dealing with urgent and emergency cases.
• Early data indicates that less than a third of resident doctors chose to strike with the number of strikers down by 7.5% (1,243) compared to the previous round of industrial action with most resident doctors choosing to join the NHS-wide effort to keep the services open.

Sir James Mackey, NHS chief executive, yesterday said:

“The NHS has come together like never before to minimise the impact of strikes on patients, and I want to thank the hundreds of thousands of staff, including many resident doctors, who worked hard to manage the disruption, protect patients, and ensure the NHS remained open for those who needed.

“While this is really good news for the vast majority of patients whose treatment went ahead, we should still acknowledge that there were thousands whose care was disrupted.

“NHS staff will continue to work hard to ensure patients can get their rescheduled care as soon as possible, but for those patients – and for all our staff who had to work extra shifts or with different responsibilities – a repeat of this action will be unacceptable.

“So, I would urge the Resident Doctors Committee to get back to the negotiating table and work with us and the Government on the meaningful improvements we can make to resident doctors working lives.”

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, yesterday said:

“I want to again thank staff from across the NHS who have put in an incredible shift to make sure that the NHS was open to as many patients as possible over the five days of unnecessary strike action.

“Due to the dedication of NHS staff and a different operational approach from previous strikes, we have managed to significantly reduce disruption to patients, with early indications showing that 10,000 extra patients receiving care compared to previous strike action.

“Despite the huge effort made to keep as much planned care as possible going, let’s be clear – these damaging strikes still come at a cost to patients, other staff and the NHS.

“A majority of resident doctors didn’t vote for strike action and data shows that less than a third of residents took part. I want to thank those resident doctors who went to work for their commitment to their patients and to our shared mission to rebuild the NHS.

“I want to end this unnecessary dispute and I will be urging the BMA to work with the government in good faith in our shared endeavour to improve the working lives of resident doctors, rather than pursuing more reckless strike action. It’s time to move past this cycle of disruption and focus on our shared mission to build on our Plan for Change and create an NHS fit for the future.”

Resident doctors, previously named junior doctors, make up around half of all doctors in the NHS and have anywhere up to eight years’ experience working as a hospital doctor, depending on their specialty, or up to three years in general practice.

Localised examples

The following trusts are examples of how the NHS was able to keep services open for patients during the period of industrial action:

• West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust – activity delivered: 98%
• University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – activity delivered: 95%
• Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – activity delivered: 95%
• Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – activity delivered: 90%
• Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust – activity delivered: 95%