Doctors Strike Puts NHS at Critical Risk Warns Starmer as Labour Faces Political Test

The looming five day walkout by junior doctors threatens to push the NHS into crisis as hospitals brace for the mass cancellation of operations and critical strain on medical services. Sir Keir Starmer has made a direct plea to resident doctors urging them not to heed the call for industrial action by the British Medical Association warning that strikes could undermine both patient care and the future of the NHS in its current publicly funded form.

In a strongly worded intervention Starmer argued the timing of the strike could play into the hands of those seeking to see the NHS fail. He challenged the BMA’s leadership for what he described as a rushed approach to industrial action after talks with the government broke down. The Labour leader stressed that going ahead with the strike would do lasting harm not just to patients—whose lives may be blighted by delayed treatment and potentially poorer outcomes—but also to the workforce and taxpayers.

The government has ramped up its response with the health secretary Wes Streeting writing to every resident doctor in the NHS calling for them to ignore the BMA leadership and attend work as normal. Streeting described the decision for another round of strikes as deeply regrettable and noted confusion among the public over the urgency of the action. Hospitals have been instructed by NHS leadership to maintain as many routine operations and appointments as feasible to limit disruption. Some trusts are planning to run normal schedules by paying consultants up to £313 per hour to provide cover.

Unions maintain that the government’s refusal to improve pay will drive more doctors away from the NHS jeopardising the system in the longer run. Striking doctors make up around half of the medical workforce in the NHS so their absence will have a significant operational impact. Recent walkouts show the scale of the problem with nearly 1.5 million hospital appointments rescheduled since strikes began in late 2022 and tens of thousands of staff absent at peak times.

Labour’s efforts to drive down waiting lists and restore faith in NHS delivery are now at stake. Starmer has highlighted that disrupting progress may embolden opponents seeking radical reform of health funding. His appeal over the heads of union leaders signals a high stakes gamble that pits political capital on the ability to keep the NHS functioning amid industrial strife.

With the political and practical consequences mounting all eyes will be on how many doctors heed the call to strike and how successfully services can be maintained. The weeks ahead may prove decisive for the standing of both the NHS and the Labour government’s capacity to manage a public sector crisis under intense scrutiny.