Patients in Oxford are facing significant disruption to hospital services as resident doctors prepare to launch a six-day strike from 7am on Tuesday 7 April 2026. The industrial action, which is set to last until 6:59am on Monday 13 April, will impact all facilities managed by the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, including the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital, Horton General Hospital in Banbury, and the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre.
This walkout marks the 15th round of industrial action by resident doctors since March 2023 and stands as the longest proposed strike in the current dispute. The British Medical Association opted to move forward with the strike after rejecting a government pay offer. The union stated that ministers shifted the terms of the deal by choosing to spread pay increases over three years rather than providing them in a single year, as had been previously discussed. In response, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer issued an ultimatum earlier this week, warning that the government would withdraw an offer for thousands of new medical training posts if the strike proceeded.
The upcoming action is expected to result in cancelled appointments and extended wait times for elective procedures across the trust. This disruption arrives at a time when the health service is already managing a significant backlog, with 76,690 patients waiting for non-urgent treatment at these hospitals as of July 2025. National health leaders have warned that this latest round of strikes could cost the NHS an estimated £300 million and will force many patients to wait even longer for care.
Trust officials are asking the public to help preserve emergency services for those in the most urgent need. Residents requiring medical assistance for non-emergency issues are encouraged to use NHS 111 online, visit a local pharmacy, or attend a Minor Injuries Unit instead of going to the emergency department.
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