Doctors who are members of the British Medical Association at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust will begin a six-day strike starting at 7:00am on Tuesday 7 April, 2026. This period of industrial action, which is set to conclude at 6.59am on Monday 13 April, 2026, is part of a long-running national dispute over pay.
As the trust works to maintain essential services during the walkout, residents are being advised to only attend the accident and emergency department for serious emergencies. Patients are encouraged to use other local health services, such as their GP or local pharmacy, for non-urgent care needs.
This event marks the 16th round of industrial action by resident doctors since the dispute began in March 2023. The disagreement centres on the union’s call for a 26% pay rise to restore salaries to 2008 levels, while the government maintains its position of supporting a 3.5% increase recommended by the official pay review body. Following the union’s refusal to call off the strike, the government has withdrawn an offer that would have created 1,000 additional specialist medical training posts.
While the strike is expected to create challenges for hospital operations, NHS England notes that staff have managed to maintain approximately 95% of planned routine care during previous industrial action. Patients whose appointments or procedures need to be changed will be contacted directly by the Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust.
The national dispute shows no current signs of being resolved, with health leaders warning that the conflict could continue to impact services across the country for the coming year. Both government officials and union representatives remain divided on the scale of pay increases and the timeline for implementing them.
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