HCSA junior doctors in England will strike for the fifth time this year in August in their continuing dispute over pay. HCSA - the hospital doctors union members will stage a four-day walkout from Friday 11th August to Tuesday 15th August.

An FAQ is available to HCSA members seeking practical information about the strike.

It follows an overwhelming 96.5 percent Yes vote by HCSA junior doctors to continue striking into 2024 in a re-ballot earlier this month.

The latest strikes come after the Prime Minister’s refusal to engage on the concerns of junior doctors who are seeking action to reverse over a decade of real-terms wage decline, impacting on retention, staffing and patient care.

Commenting, HCSA President Dr Naru Narayanan said:

“By ruling out talks the Prime Minister has made further strikes inevitable. His let them eat cake approach to pay has gone down incredibly badly with junior doctors concerned about the future of healthcare in this country.

“To date we have not even seen any acknowledgement of the pay erosion which is driving this dispute and having a disastrous impact on medical staffing.

“The Prime Minister needs to remember this is an elected democracy not 18th-century France. Junior doctors are resorting to the only course of action they have left when faced with the government’s absolute refusal to engage on their concerns.

“The only way we’ll see an end to this disruption is by talking through the issues and reaching agreement on a plan to get junior doctors’ salaries back to a viable level. Unfortunately we are heading towards winter with a government more interested in diktats than discussion."