Nhs pay row deepens: unions clash as doctors prepare to strike

A simmering dispute within the National Health Service is boiling over as doctors prepare for strikes next week, triggering a backlash from other unions representing crucial frontline staff. The British Medical Association’s (BMA) push for a pay increase exceeding the 3.5% offered by the government has exposed fractures within the NHS workforce, with resentment growing among nurses, physiotherapists, and other vital personnel who face an even smaller rise of 3.3% under the Agenda for Change (AfC) system.

Negotiations derailled by resident doctor leadership?

Sources within several unions suggest the BMA’s strategy, led by resident doctors, has hampered negotiations and adopted an approach lacking pragmatic consideration.