The NHS in the Midlands has issued an urgent public message as a five-day strike by resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, begins across England today, Wednesday 17 December 2025.
Strike Action Begins After Deal Rejected
The industrial action commenced at 7am this morning and is scheduled to last for five full days. It follows the resident doctors' overwhelming rejection of a deal proposed by Health Secretary Wes Streeting last week. While Mr Streeting's offer included measures to increase training places for early-career doctors, it did not address their pay for the current financial year. The British Medical Association (BMA) union conducted a survey which showed widespread opposition to the terms.
NHS Guidance for Patients During Strikes
With the strike occurring during the key festive season, NHS departments are advising the public on how to access care. NHS Midlands took to social media platform X to share clear instructions. The health body stressed that people should continue to seek NHS care when needed.
The central message urges anyone requiring urgent medical help who is unsure where to go to contact NHS 111 first. For serious or life-threatening emergencies, the public must still call 999. An accompanying infographic reinforced the advice to use the 111 service to get assessed and directed to the most appropriate care.
GP and Dental Appointments Largely Unaffected
In a separate communication, NHS England provided further detail, confirming that the strike action will affect some services from today and into next week. However, they emphasised that GP practices and dental surgeries remain open.
Patients are advised to continue attending their scheduled appointments with GPs and dentists unless they are directly contacted and told otherwise. The strike primarily involves hospital-based resident doctors, meaning many primary care services will operate as usual.
The coordinated messages from NHS England and NHS Midlands aim to ensure patient safety and manage demand effectively during a period of significant industrial action within the health service.
