Resident doctors in England vote to continue strikes (Image: Getty)
Militant union barons vowed to continue industrial action despite fewer doctors backing strikes.
Less than half of the BMA’s members supported fresh walkouts, with turnout in the ballots also falling.
And health chiefs warned patients will be “bitterly disappointed”, with the prospect of more cancelled appointments looming large.
Turnout among BMA members has fallen to 52.5%, down from a high of 77.5% in January 2023.
Matthew Taylor, interim chief executive of the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, said: “NHS leaders will be bitterly disappointed that resident doctors have voted to continue with industrial action, especially given the huge impact that strikes have had on patients and the health service’s performance and finances.
“Further strikes will pile yet more unplanned costs on NHS organisations, forcing health leaders to make difficult choices over reducing staff and patient services to try to balance their books.
“We cannot let these strikes roll through 2026, using up yet more scarce resources and impeding the progress the NHS needs to make in reducing waiting lists.
“Health leaders need to see the Government and BMA resume talks – through mediation if needed – to find a long-term solution to this dispute.”
Some 93% of medics voted in favour of continuing industrial action in a new British Medical Association ballot. The turnout was 52.5%.
But 26,696 backed fresh action, meaning 49% of members were supportive, down 0.7%.
The NHS last month announced that 94.7% of pre-planned care went ahead as planned during the last round of strike action from resident doctors in December.
The five-day walkout took place from December 17 amid warnings that the NHS was dealing with an early spike in flu cases and other winter viruses.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, said: “None of this needs to mean more strikes.
“In recent weeks, the Government has shown an improved approach in tone compared with the name-calling we saw late last year.
“A deal is there to be done: a new jobs package and an offer raising pay fairly over several years can be worked out through good will on both sides, in the interests of patients, staff and the whole NHS.
“And now that the mandate for strike action is confirmed for six months, the Government has nowhere to run and no means of running out the clock.
“With no choice but to get a deal, we hope that means a responsible approach from the health secretary and a timely settlement with no further need for strikes.”
A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “On top of a 28.9% pay rise over the last three years, this Government is continuing to work with the BMA to address the issues resident doctors face in their careers, including fast-tracking legislation to prioritise home grown medical graduates for specialty training places.
“The Government has been in intensive and constructive discussions with the BMA resident doctors committee since the start of the new year to try and bring an end to the damaging cycle of strikes and avoid further unnecessary disruption for patients and NHS staff.
“We hope that these talks result in an agreement that works for everyone, so that there is not any more strike action by resident doctors in 2026.”