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.'

The ballot will run from 8 December 2025 to 2 February 2026.