JUNIOR doctors in England are currently taking part in four days of strike action – leading to confusion on whether junior doctors in Wales are also taking part in industrial action.

In their coverage, various media outlets have discussed the impact that this will have on Britain’s health services – however, Wales is not affected by this strike action.

However, the BMA have stressed that Welsh members should remain "willing and prepared to ballot for industrial action should they need to".

The BMA argue that junior doctors have faced a "pay erosion" of 26.1 per cent since 2008.

Why are junior doctors striking in England?

The BMA (British Medical Association) have said that, after "several attempts" to engage with the UK Government in pay talks, the junior doctors committee in England were "left with no choice but to ballot members on industrial action as per their mandate for pay restoration".

"In the absence of meaningful engagement with the UK government, junior doctors in England voted to strike and continue to strike until they are able to have meaningful discussions on pay with the UK government," the BMA said.

Why are Junior doctors not striking in Wales?

Unlike in England, the Welsh Government has engaged in conversations around pay.

The BMA have said that, in a recent public declaration as part of the latest pay offer, the Welsh government have "committed to the principle of full pay restoration".

"As a result, we are not currently in a formal dispute on pay," they said.

Why is the BMA calling for a pay rise?

"For too long the work that junior doctors do have been undervalued, with rates of pay for additional duty hours also failing to keep up with the cost of living," a spokesperson said.

"They are frequently asked to work additional shifts outside of contracted hours and, given the increasing cost of living, they sometimes need to take on that additional work."

These extra shifts, the BMA say, also have an impact on wellbeing, free time, families and, ultimately, health.

"The result is that more and more junior doctors are deciding to leave the country to work elsewhere or to leave medicine all together," they said.

What are the next steps for junior doctors in Wales?

Pay negotiations for 2023/24 will commence next week and the Welsh government has agreed to set up a working group to take forward the joint ambition of pay restoration.

However, the BMA have said that junior doctors in Wales "remain dissatisfied with the recent enhanced pay award and the absence of a timeline for pay restoration".

Junior doctors in Wales are, therefore, "willing and prepared to ballot members should they need to", and that internal preparation is taking place now.

"It must however be remembered that taking the decision to ballot members on industrial action is a very last resort, just as it was for members in England and now in Scotland," the BMA have stressed.