Tens of thousands of resident doctors in England are to stage a six-day walkout over pay and jobs from 7am on Tuesday.

NHS England said hospital teams across the country will be working to minimise disruption for patients during the walkout.

Publicly, both sides are saying the strikes can be called off. Privately, they are ramping up.

The government and the British Medical Association (BMA) have never been further apart.

The language is becoming more heated and each has accused the other of undermining talks and moving goalposts.

The prime minister has intervened. Extra specialty training places requested by the BMA as part of the package to end the dispute have now been taken away following a 48-hour ultimatum.

The BMA’s response was to accuse the government of undermining its own ambition of restoring the NHS to a fully functioning health service.

NHS boss Sir Jim Mackey, appointed to realise Labour’s manifesto pledge of reduced waiting times, is renowned as a pragmatist.

He has said he will find a way of getting the NHS working without being hamstrung by strike action. That tells us stern strategies are being considered.

The BMA has fired back by announcing it will ballot senior doctors in England, including consultations on potential strike action.

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The BMA will hold a formal ballot from 11 May to 6 July 2026 for consultants and specialty doctors.

If members vote yes, senior doctors could join resident, potentially meaning all hospital doctors could be on strike at the same time.

No amount of contingency planning could mitigate that.