Resident Doctors strike action averted
12 Feb 2026 09:12 AM
Agreement reached on pay and contract reform.
Resident Doctors have voted to accept a revised pay and contract reform offer and call off strike action.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has confirmed that its members have accepted an offer of 4.25% in 2025-26 and 3.75% in 2026-27 – a deal that matches one recently accepted by nurses and other health care staff.
The agreement, which will see a cumulative 8.16% uplift over two years, also includes a separate package of contractual reform over the same period with a total combined investment of £133 million.
Proposed strike action, which had originally been postponed by the BMA on 9 January, will now be cancelled.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said:
“I am pleased that we have reached an agreement with Resident Doctors over pay and contractual reform.
“I’m grateful to the BMA for the intensive and constructive talks we held to reach this agreement and for confirmation that any threat of industrial action is now fully lifted, avoiding any cancelled operations or disruption to care.
“The combined offer will see the same pay deal which nurses and NHS support staff agreed.
“It also includes additional investment in contractual reform over the same period, providing a total combined investment of £133 million over this time, underlining our commitment to the 2023 pay and contract reform agreement.
“With Scotland remaining the only part of the UK to avoid pay-related strike action in the NHS, I am now determined that we will continue to make progress in cutting waiting times and ensuring people get quality care.”
Background
This investment will allow Resident Doctors and Resident Dentists to move to the next point on their pay journey from 1 December 2025.
Any Resident Doctor or Resident Dentist at the top of their respective pay scale who cannot benefit from a pay point increase will receive the equivalent value in a one-off consolidated payment to enable further progress on contract reform. This will ensure that all Resident Doctors and Resident Dentists are treated equitably.