Resident Doctors Decry Deteriorating Conditions, Warn of NHS Crisis

As of August 5th, 2025, the UK's resident doctors are voicing growing dissatisfaction with their working conditions and the state of the National Health Service (NHS). According to Dr. Robin Hollands, a consultant in Shrewsbury, young doctors today face a very different reality compared to the 1980s and early 1990s when he trained.

Hollands explains that today's doctors are "isolated and harassed by managers" and subject to a "target-driven culture." Their training has become "politicised and diluted," and they lack access to basic amenities like hot food after 4 pm or on weekends. Meanwhile, Dr. Will Giffin, a foundation year 1 (FY1) doctor in Sheffield, is deeply disheartened by the discourse around the resident doctor strikes, noting that the British Medical Association (BMA) has failed to properly advocate for changes to improve their working lives.

Giffin points to the alarming statistic that 52% of FY2 doctors have no secure employment lined up after August, a "failure of the system" that may threaten the future of the NHS. While the government generously provided a 22% pay rise last year, the BMA's current demands for a further 29% increase are seen by many as "totally unrealistic" and "tone deaf" to the struggles of other public sector workers.

Both Hollands and Giffin agree that the strikes represent a much deeper dissatisfaction that needs to be addressed, with Giffin calling for urgent action to address the looming doctor unemployment crisis. As the UK's healthcare system faces an uncertain future, resident doctors continue to demand better working conditions and a clear path forward for their careers.