Resident Doctors: Strike Dates and Pay Explained

This page is for resident doctors, and for anyone else in the NHS who wants the current strike position without wading through headlines. It sets out what is announced, what has ended, what is only a live ballot or mandate, and how the notice rules work, so you can tell a real strike date from a rumour. For the general legal framework, life and limb cover and pay during action, see NHS strikes and industrial action explained. FrontlinePay is independent and takes no side in any dispute.

Where things stand

In England the resident doctors' dispute is over. The BMA's media statement of 29 June 2026 says the dispute in England is over and the strikes will end. That is not the same as a permanent settlement: the same statement says pay is still nearly a fifth behind 2008 levels, that the BMA has put the DDRB pay review process on notice, and that further disputes are possible if pay or training places stall (BMA, 29 June 2026). The BMA's FAQs add that the deal does not prevent doctors starting a new dispute if the DDRB does not deliver in April 2027.

What happened: dates

We could not confirm from a BMA or GOV.UK page that the 7 to 13 April round went ahead as announced; the sources above are the announcement and the BMA's count of 15 rounds.

The offer and the 2026/27 award

The offer is described in the BMA's own documents. Figures are the BMA's own, read on 19 October 2026; the government's description may be presented differently.

The 3.5% DDRB award is the same headline figure consultants and SAS doctors received for 2026/27 (DHSC blog, 26 March 2026). The DHSC blog also says secondary care consultants and other senior doctors were due to be paid from June 2026, two months earlier than the year before, with all awards backdated to 1 April 2026. For nodal point figures by grade, and the DDRB track, see NHS doctors' pay explained, and for the other pay tracks NHS pay rise 2026/27.

Other doctors' disputes

The England resident doctors' settlement does not cover anyone else. As at 19 October 2026:

We have not confirmed the current position for resident doctors in Scotland and Wales. Check BMA Scotland and BMA Cymru Wales directly.

How strike announcements work

If no dates are announced, it is because the legal steps have not been completed. For doctors in the BMA the sequence is:

• • A ballot. The union balloted its members. In Scotland's current BMA ballot a simple majority of those voting is needed and at least 50% of eligible members must return their ballot (BMA Scotland briefing, 6 October 2026). Electronic balloting for statutory trade union ballots started on 25 August 2026 (GOV.UK).
• • A mandate. A successful ballot gives a mandate. For ballots opened on or after 18 February 2026 it lasts 12 months; earlier ballots keep the old six months (ACAS).
• • Notice. The union must give the employer 10 days' notice of action since 18 February 2026, down from 14 (ACAS).
• • Announcement. The BMA announces dates, trusts plan cover and tell patients. In Northern Ireland in June 2026 the BMA said it gave six weeks' notice so patient lists could be managed.

So a strike cannot appear without warning. Where there is no open ballot or live mandate, there is no lawful strike in the next few weeks: a ballot takes weeks (the English consultants' ballot ran from 11 May to 6 July 2026, and the Scottish one runs for six weeks from 26 October) and then notice has to be given. The BMA has also said it would not strike over Christmas and New Year in Scotland, and that any first date there would likely be in January. These rules come from the Employment Rights Act 2025; see the dated timeline.

What other NHS staff should expect

• Agenda for Change staff in England are not part of these disputes. Their 2026/27 award was 3.3%, and the 2027/28 round is open: see NHS pay award 2027/28. We found no strike ballot for them in England.
• If a strike is announced where you work, your employer will tell you what changes for rotas, cover and redeployment. Ask your manager, and your union rep if you are a member. Pay during action and life and limb cover are explained on the strikes explainer.
• In Northern Ireland, nursing staff are balloted until 20 November 2026 over the unpaid 2026/27 award. That is a separate dispute.
• Union help. See NHS staff representation for who represents which staff.

How to check the latest

• ✓ The BMA's own pages for resident doctors, consultants and the nation you work in are where dates are announced first
• ✓ Your trust's communications, intranet and emails: employers must plan cover and will tell you
• ✓ NHS England and NHS Employers publish national guidance for employers and patients when action is called. We could not find a permanent, always-current NHS England page for this, so use your trust as the main source
• ✓ GOV.UK for any government statement or press release on an offer
• ✓ Treat social media posts with a date and no link to the BMA or GOV.UK as unverified

Related guides

General information as of 19 October 2026. Not legal advice. For your own position on industrial action, speak to your union. FrontlinePay is independent and not affiliated with the BMA, the NHS or any trade union.