Britain Faces £13 Million Daily Bill from Junior Doctors’ Strike

According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), Britain stands to lose nearly £13m for every day that resident doctors go on strike.

The five-day strike is anticipated to result in a £64 million economic loss, driven by missed workdays and lower productivity, according to The Telegraph.

Nonetheless, the real cost is expected to be even more detrimental, as the data doesn’t take into consideration the potential consequences and impact of missed healthcare appointments for people.

The figures are likely to be a major setback for Sir Keir Starmer, who offered substantial pay increases last year in an effort to resolve strike action.

A spokesperson from the CEBR, Samuel Miley, said, “You will have people who unfortunately miss hospital appointments because of the strike or receive care that would have been better.

“Those people will face negative consequences in terms of their own health, which subsequently can be measured in economic terms.

“For instance, if they are forced to spend more time off work, or their condition worsens such that they are no longer able to return to work at all.”

The walkouts set for July 25 put more than 200,000 hospital appointments at risk of being cancelled.

Junior doctors are calling for a 29% pay increase, even after receiving the largest public sector wage boost for the second consecutive year.

Embarrassing for Starmer

For Sir Keir Starmer, the walkout is particularly awkward, considering his past commitment to ending NHS industrial action as a vital step in fixing the nation.

With long-term illness driving up welfare costs, the situation marks a clear setback for his push to reduce Britain’s expanding benefits burden.

With the UK’s strained public budget, generous pay increases are unlikely, complicating efforts to end strikes.

In anticipation of the autumn budget, economists have cautioned that Rachel Reeves may be facing as much as a £30 billion breach of fiscal rules.

Mr Miley stated, “The financial situation is tight, which means that any increase in public sector expenditure is fraught with difficulties.

“That being said, doctors are clearly an essential part of the workforce and have probably more bargaining power than other public sector workers. Hence, I think a pay rise is probably the more likely outcome.”

Resident doctor walkouts pose a threat to Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s progress on NHS waiting lists, putting a significant Labour manifesto promise at risk.

As of March, the NHS employed 2 million staff—the highest on record—with 44,000 more than a year ago.