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The Story

Why are the doctors striking?

The Story

The Times

Politics, News Analysis, Investigative Reporting, Exclusive Interviews, Long-form Audio, In-depth Journalism, Audio Storytelling, Current Affairs, Global News, Uk News, Daily News Podcast, Unknown, Daily News, News

41.5K Ratings

🗓️ 23 July 2025

⏱️ 31 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

With Britain’s resident doctors due to walk off the job tomorrow, the government is planning changes to the law that could make this kind of strike more common.


This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Eleanor Hayward, Health Editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Hannah Varrall.

Read more: How much do resident doctors earn? The BMA’s claims examined

Clips: Labour Party, PoliticsJoe, The BMJ, BMAtv, BBC, Sky News.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: [email protected].


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Transcript

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0:00.0

Discover your perfect Summer Page Turner.

0:03.0

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0:08.0

Would you tell the truth about your past if it cost you your future?

0:12.0

Praise by Jodie Pico as tender and heartbreaking,

0:15.0

and Jenny Godfrey as a sweeping love story with the propulsion of a thriller.

0:20.0

Finding Grace asks whether it's ever too

0:22.5

late to tell the truth. Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild out now in hardback, audio and to download.

0:36.2

From The Times and the Sunday Times, this is the story.

0:40.8

I'm Manvine Rana.

0:48.8

When Labour came to power last summer, one of the very first things West Reting did, on his first day in the Department of Health, was called the BMA and say, come in to chat last summer. One of the very first things West Streeting did on his first day

0:54.8

in the Department of Health was call the BMA and say, come in to chat with me, we need to end

0:58.9

these strikes. At the time, the NHS had already faced two years of paralysing strikes.

1:07.8

So the Times Health editor, Eleanor Hayward, was fascinated by the emerging relationship

1:13.2

between the new health secretary, Wes Streeting, and the doctors at the British Medical Association.

1:21.2

West Streeting offered them a 22% pay rise, and I think everyone thought, great, that's the end of the

1:26.7

matter, we can move on and recover the NHS now. And I think everyone thought, great, that's the end of the matter. We can move on and

1:28.9

recover the NHS now. And the BMA have obviously said, no. It's not enough. Yeah, they want more.

1:39.1

That dispute has led to the impending strikes starting on Friday when 50,000 doctors are expected to walk out for five days.

1:49.0

But while Wes Streeting is locking horns with a BMA, his own party is introducing big changes

1:57.0

that might make strikes like these a regular feature.

2:05.9

We are on the verge of historic legislation to make work more secure.

2:09.6

Ensure rights are enforced and trade unions are strengthened.

...

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