The ballot will ask doctors if they are prepared to take action over lack of jobs and severe pay erosion. If returned with a "yes" vote, the mandate for strike action in England would be extended to August 2026.
RDC chair Dr Jack Fletcher said: ‘A new mandate for strikes should not be necessary. We should have been able to put this dispute to bed months ago with a responsible deal on jobs and pay. It would have only taken a plan to gradually raise pay over a few years and some common-sense reforms to ensure job security so that doctors aren't threatened with unemployment. Such a plan was perfectly within reach of this Government, and we had hoped they would seize the chance to rebuild our medical workforce. Instead the Government waited until we announced industrial action before making an additional offer.
'So, here we are. We're asking doctors to vote for the mandate for six months' more industrial action. If they do, it should finally be clear to the Government that half-measures, delays and vague words will not cut it. They will have little choice but to finally make a genuine offer that can take strikes off the table for years to come.'
In response, secretary of state for health and social care Wes Streeting, said: ‘It is disappointing to see the BMA threatening further unnecessary strike action which harms patients, the NHS and resident doctors themselves.
‘After a 28.9% pay rise over the last three years and the highest pay awards across the whole public sector for the last two, resident doctors can see this is a government that backs them.
‘The government made an offer that would improve the career progression and job opportunities of resident doctors, and lower the professional costs of being a doctor. The BMA rejected it without even putting it to their members. It is the BMA that is blocking a better deal for its members. Every round of strikes costs the NHS around £250m, and means there is less funding available for frontline staff or better services for patients.
‘Instead of indulging in more damaging strike action, the BMA should get back around the table and work with us to rebuild our NHS.'
The ballot will run from 8 December 2025 to 2 February 2026.
Reaction
Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said: ‘NHS leaders will be incredibly disappointed at the BMA's decision to reballot its members for yet more industrial action.
‘We know that strikes have had a major financial impact on the NHS already, with the last five-day walkout estimated to have cost a staggering £300m. With these costs not included in the health service's budgets, future strikes will force NHS leaders to make difficult choices including reducing staff and patient services to try and balance the books.
‘Health leaders would urge resident doctors to reflect on the impact of further industrial action on patients, the difficult financial backdrop we're operating in, and the generous pay rise that has already been offered to them by the government before they vote to go ahead with more walkouts which would stretch well into the summer.'
Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said: ‘NHS leaders will be incredibly disappointed at the BMA's decision to reballot its members for yet more industrial action.
‘We know that strikes have had a major financial impact on the NHS already, with the last five-day walkout estimated to have cost a staggering £300m. With these costs not included in the health service's budgets, future strikes will force NHS leaders to make difficult choices including reducing staff and patient services to try and balance the books.
‘Health leaders would urge resident doctors to reflect on the impact of further industrial action on patients, the difficult financial backdrop we're operating in, and the generous pay rise that has already been offered to them by the government before they vote to go ahead with more walkouts which would stretch well into the summer.'
