'We want to care for patients, not go on strike'

Dr Madjda Bougherira says a pay increase would make a difference for patients

A resident doctor who says there is "something seriously going wrong" in understaffed hospitals in the north west of England has urged the government to agree to a new pay deal.

Resident doctors will walk out later across the region in a row over pay and the limited speciality training opportunities.

Madjda Bougherira, a doctor in psychiatry in Manchester, said a wage hike would help with staff retention and make a difference to patients in hospitals where "corridor care" has become normalised.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the "needless round of strikes" will cause some disruption for patients and the NHS staff "left picking up the pieces".

"Nobody wants to be on strike, we don't want to be on strike. I've done all this training I want to be out there caring for patients," Dr Bougherira said.

"But if they don't pay us and they don't train us we can't be there for patients like we want to be."

She is chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) North West regional resident doctors committee.

Resident doctors are striking over pay and jobs

The five-day walkout of resident doctors - who used to be called junior doctors - begins at 07:00 GMT and comes after talks between the government and the BMA broke down last week.

The body said despite receiving pay rises totalling nearly 30% in the past three years, resident doctors' pay is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is taken into account.

• What's happened to resident doctors' pay since 2008?

Dr Bougherira said: "Doctors' pay has eroded since 2008 levels. We're 21% down in pay compared to where we have been previously. We're on strike to restore our pay and try to be where we deserve to be.

"I work in mental health so every day I see the effect short staffing has.

"I go to A&E and see corridor care normalised because we just don't have the staff.

"We want to see patients, we want to work with patients but we can't and there's just something seriously going wrong."

"First year doctors currently earn £19 an hour, all we're asking is for that £19 to move to just under £23 an hour that's what a fully qualified doctor should be worth."

'Training crisis'

Concerns have also been raised by the BMA about the prospect of resident doctors being able to secure a job in the future.

The union said thousands are ending up without speciality training places when they finish their second year of residency.

The government offered the union a deal to cover the cost of exam fees and expanding training places more quickly than planned, but it was rejected by the BMA which said pay needed to be addressed.

Dr Bougherira said. "This is a training crisis dispute as well. We're seeing doctors forced out of the NHS because they cannot find work as a doctor."

She said: "In 24/25 application cycle there were 30,000 applicants for 10,000 training posts. This is not going to be solved by offers of 1,000/2,000 positions.

"We're seeing record numbers of doctors applying for their certificate so they can work abroad.

"Without prioritisation of doctors who have NHS experience and have trained here this will never resolve. We're only expecting those numbers to go up and without action now the 2026 numbers will be much worse."

Health secretary Wes Streeting said there is "no doubt" that strikes will cause some disruption for patients and staff.

"The fault for that lies squarely with the BMA, who refused to put the government's offer to its members," he said.

"I urge resident doctors not to follow the BMA out on strike, come to work to give your patients the care they need, and let's continue rebuilding our NHS."

This latest action will be the 13th round of strikes from resident doctors since March 2023, resulting in 54 days of disruption to NHS services.