Doctors in Lancashire, and across England, were set to strike today (June 15) but the planned strikes have now been called off at the last minute following an improved offer from the Government.
In Lancashire, the four-day walkout was expected to begin at 7am but was cancelled after the Government made a new offer for resident doctors in England.
The strike would have been the 16th round of industrial action since 2023.
A spokesperson for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "The resident doctors’ strike that was due to start this morning, Monday, June 15, has now been called off.
"Please continue to attend appointments as planned unless you have heard otherwise by your service, and continue to access NHS services as normal if you need them."
Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee (RDC), said the industrial action could have been avoided if an acceptable offer had been made sooner.
He said: "We have always been clear that no strikes needed to go ahead if we received an offer appropriate to put to our members.
"This should not have been left to the last moment, but we hold up our end of the bargain when the Government shifts its position.
"All we have asked for is a fair offer that secures enough jobs to tackle the madness of doctor unemployment and take steps to address the erosion of our pay.
"Tens of thousands of frontline doctors will now vote in a referendum on whether this offer is sufficient."
Dr Fletcher said further strike action could not be ruled out if the offer was rejected.
He said: "Doctors will now have their say.
"If they say no to this offer, we will have to continue our plans for further escalated action across next month."
Though the full details have not been published, the offer is understood to include an average 6.6 per cent pay uplift to be fully implemented by April 2027 and standard 2016 resident doctor contract terms for all locally employed doctors.
Professor Ramani Moonesinghe, national clinical director for critical and perioperative care at NHS England, said the decision to cancel the strike was welcome.
Professor Moonesinghe said: "It is extremely welcome news that the BMA has called off next week’s strike for both patients and NHS staff.
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"I want to thank staff across the NHS who have worked extremely hard to maintain care for patients throughout recent industrial action – and I really hope today is a positive step in the right direction to end strikes once and for all, while we continue to ensure the NHS is the best place to work for resident doctors now and in the future."
Health secretary James Murray said: "It is a positive and welcome development – especially for patients – that the BMA have called off these unnecessary strikes."
Resident doctors will now take part in a referendum to decide whether to accept the offer or continue with industrial action.
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