The roots of the current Resident doctors dispute are well documented. They include demands for a fair salary, improvements to working conditions and resolution of the training post bottleneck problem. Some impacts of the dispute are more apparent than others. There’s been a thorough debate over the potential for strike action being detrimental to patient care and exacerbating waiting lists. The expectations for senior doctors working additional shifts to cover the gaps along with associated overtime costs for the NHS has also been given new media attention.
Resolving the underlying issues is clearly in everyone’s interest. But what are the impacts of the dispute on Resident Doctors themselves, both short-term and long-term?
Short-term financial impact
There’s little coverage being given to the personal short-term financial implications of taking industrial action. Each day that a Resident Doctor withholds their labour and opts to strike, they take a direct hit on their next salary payment. Dependent on how many days they were originally down on the rota to work, a 5 day call off could easily equate to a shortfall in next month’s income of between 10-20%. Maybe even more.
As the old saying goes, there’s no gain without pain and any argument for continuing this course of action is that today’s losses are an investment in achieving a better future. Still, recurring short-term salary shortages, when already experiencing relative hardship, are adding to the financial pressures on Resident Doctors.
Impact on experience
Any days missed from work for a training programme directly equate to a reduction in experience. One or two days may seem inconsequential. However, with an individual’s strike action now typically mounting up to between 10-15 days over a 6 month period, the impact risks becoming considerable. Absences of this level for any other reason would cause a doctor concern. Less time for direct patient contact; less time learning how things work and interacting with teams; and less time to implement what has been learned along the way.
Motivation and engagement
The dispute has its roots in general dissatisfaction. There’s always a risk that such feelings can intensify when tackling issues head on. This is especially the case when met with a lack of progress or, even worse, when trying to address a problem spirals into conflict. Motivation and engagement with normal processes can easily become diminished in such circumstances.
At Oxford Medical, we’ve observed a pattern where Resident Doctors are less likely to participate in voluntary courses during periods of dispute. Back in July 2024, when the salary issues appeared to be resolved, there was a significant surge in the numbers taking courses. This feel-good bounce continued all the way through to June 2025 when there was a sudden dip in uptake, coinciding with the return of strike action. We observed the same pattern way back in 2016 during a previous dispute period.
This trend is unsurprising, given the impacts on finance and motivation. But there are long term risks here for Resident Doctors.
Risk to career progression
The doctors who give themselves the best chances of securing the training programme of their choice typically seek out opportunities. They undertake courses with the aim of gaining skills and experience – rather than to simply tick a box to gain points during the application process. So they take their courses early, giving themselves time to implement what they’ve learned and then use this to shine at interview. That’s true for clinical abilities and also for professional skills such as teaching, communication, leadership and management.
With numbers of Foundation Year Doctors higher than ever, and with training posts failing to increase at the same rate, competition rates are bound to be extremely high this year. The obvious financial, motivational and experiential impacts of the industrial dispute may also have real detrimental impact on the career progression of many Resident Doctors.
At Oxford Medical, we are holding our course prices unchanged again this year. We offer Virtual Classroom, in-person and instant access online options on a broad range of courses. We also have flexible payment options for UK based doctors to help manage finances.
We all hope for effective resolution of the dispute in the near future.
What steps are you taking to keep you career on track despite the current challenges?
Stephen McGuire – Managing Director
