Statement of support of junior doctors in England

The European Junior Doctors Association supports Junior Doctors in England in their industrial action this week. Over 40,000 Junior Doctors across England will take 96 hours of full strike action this week for the second time this year. This second round of industrial action by junior doctors in England follows years of underinvestment in, and devaluing of, the medical profession. The decision to strike has not been taken lightly and is truly the last resort for any doctor, however the overwhelming mandate for industrial action in England demonstrates the strength of feeling that the UK government must do more to value and secure the medical workforce now and for the future.

Salaries for junior doctors in England have not kept pace with inflation for over a decade leading to a massive gap between what a junior was paid in 2008 and what a junior doctor is paid today in 2023; junior doctors have experienced a pay cut of over 26%. The British Medical Association Junior Doctors Committee call for restoration of pay to the level of 2008. 

The European Junior Doctors Association stands with Junior Doctors in England in their demand for fair pay and working conditions and call upon the UK Government to urgently make a fair pay offer, to enable full pay restoration and to secure the high quality of care doctors feel their patients deserve.