The junior doctor strike is set to set NHS waiting lists spiralling once again experts say – as new figures reveal a direct link between walkouts and the soaring treatment backlog.
In an analysis shared with the Sunday Express, business consultancy company Broadstone found during the most intense period of junior – now known as resident – doctor strikes between January and September 2023, NHS waiting lists surged by 555,453 patients – rising from 7.21 million to 7.77 million.
The figures also show that after the Government reached a pay agreement with the British Medical Association (BMA) in July 2024, there followed a period of industrial calm – and waiting lists fell. Between July 2024 and April 2025, the backlog dropped by 233,810, down to 7.38 million, the latest available figure.
The news comes as it was revealed consultants are charging £2,500 a shift to cover the strikes – while cancelling their own shifts in support of the strikes.
Brett Hill, head of health at Broadstone, warned: “The fresh resident doctor strike action…will almost certainly derail the government’s hard-won progress in bringing down waiting lists.”
One NHS advisor said: “These strikes will lead to the cancellation of operations worsening the NHS waiting lists. It will also lead to the cancellation of vital appointments leading to treatments and operations. This includes lifesaving interventions such as chemotherapy and surgery for cancer. This could cost lives. It is messing up the NHS at a time when it is starting to show slow signs of recovery.”
The advisor, a senior consultant who preferred not to be named added: “Do these doctors not follow their Hippocratic Oath – first do no harm?”
Professor Carl Heneghan, an urgent care GP and director of Oxford University’s Centre of Evidence Based Medicine said: “This is a national emergency. Where is the waiting list Tsar to work out how to fix this. We should strip out all the agencies and other things that are not required by the NHS and focus on getting patients in front of doctors, especially for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
“This would have far more impact than the recent 10 year plan by the government which is focused on AI and tech solutions which do not have a proper evidence base.”
The BMA announced resident doctors will strike from 7am on 25 July to 7am on 30 July, after 90% of its members voted in favour of industrial action.
Co-chairs of the resident doctors committee, Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt, said: “We met Wes Streeting and made every attempt to avoid strike action by opening negotiations for pay restoration.”
“Unfortunately, the Government has stated that it will not negotiate on pay, wanting to focus on non-pay elements without suggesting what these might be.”
“Without a credible offer to keep us on the path to restore our pay, we have no choice but to call strikes.”
“No doctor wants to strike, and these strikes don’t have to go ahead. If Mr Streeting can seriously come to the table in the next two weeks we can ensure that no disruption is caused. The Government knows what is needed to avert strikes. The choice is theirs.”
The BMA’s latest strike mandate is valid until January 2026, meaning further disruption remains a looming threat if a resolution isn’t reached.
The short notice of the walkout has drawn criticism from NHS leaders. Daniel Elkeles, Chief Executive of NHS Providers, said:
“Announcing five days of strike action with just two weeks’ notice can only be harmful. It’s totally unfair to patients whose care will be cancelled at such short notice just as the NHS was beginning to turn the tide on reducing waiting lists.”
“It shows a lack of respect for colleagues from many other disciplines who received lower pay rises and will now have to cover resident doctors’ work.”
“And it is going to divert attention away from improving services to focus on planning to keep services as safe as possible.”
“We need cool heads to de-escalate this and remove the threat of further damaging industrial action.”
Helen Morgan MP, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, said:
“These delays are shocking and could have awful consequences for thousands of people.”
“It is heartbreaking to think that so many have had to wait for so long for treatment, languishing in pain unable to get on with their lives for the past year.”
The news follows a GB news report last week that consultants are charging up to a staggaring £2,504 for an eight hour shift to cover for the striking doctors. It was also claimed that consultants up and down the country are cancelling their own clinics and operating lists in a show of solidarity. The fees – based on the British Medical Association’s consultant extracontractural rate cared which were branded ‘outrageous’ by senior medics.
Wes Streeting said last week: “The public will not forgive strike action in these circumstances and nor will I.”
And in a letter to the BMA last Wednesday, Mr Streeting added: “As I have stated many times, in public and in private, with you and your predecessors, you will not find another health and social care secretary as sympathetic to resident doctors as me.
“By choosing to strike instead of working in partnership to improve conditions for your members and the NHS, you are squandering an opportunity.”
The number of patients waiting over a year for treatment recently rose again – now standing at 196,000, up for the second consecutive month.
The BMA declined to comment on the cancellation of operating lists and clinics.
Strike stats
Strike Dates: 25–30 July 2025
Strike Mandate Valid Until: January 2026
Total Strike Days Since March 2023: 44 (this will be the 45th)
Peak Waiting List (Sept 2023): 7.77 million
Current Waiting List (April 2025): 7.38 million
Year-Long Waiters: 196,000