Patients in Telford and across Shropshire are being advised to prepare for significant service disruptions as resident doctors begin a six-day strike starting on Tuesday 7 April 2026. The industrial action, which will last until 7am on Monday 13 April 2026, marks the 15th walkout by resident doctors since the national pay dispute first began in March 2023.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which operates the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, remains the main provider of hospital services for nearly half a million people in the region. Combined, these two sites manage over 700 inpatient beds, and the upcoming strike is expected to place considerable pressure on these facilities.
Dr. Rachael Gallyot, Interim Chief Medical Officer for NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, has issued a public appeal for residents to choose services wisely during the strike period. She is urging members of the public to use the NHS 111 online service for all non-emergency medical needs and to attend Accident and Emergency departments only in cases of genuine, life-threatening emergencies.
This walkout is the joint longest period of industrial action during the current dispute. The British Medical Association, which represents the resident doctors, is calling for full pay restoration to 2008 levels, which would equate to a 26 per cent pay rise. They argue that their members’ pay remains a fifth lower than it was in 2008 when adjusted for inflation. In contrast, the government maintains that resident doctors have received pay increases totaling nearly 29 per cent over the past three years.
Negotiations between the two parties broke down over the timing of proposed pay increases, with the government seeking to spread the rise over three years while the union insisted on the full amount being implemented in the 2026-27 year. In response to the announcement of the strike, the government has withdrawn an offer of 1,000 additional specialty training posts, stating that it is not operationally or financially possible to launch the new positions while industrial action is occurring. As resident doctors currently hold a mandate for industrial action until August 2026, the potential for further strikes remains.
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