L

Lord Sentamu (CB)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 15 December 2025

Debate

Resident Doctors: Industrial Action

Contribution

My Lords, one of the four priorities named in the Budget delivered by the Chancellor of the Exchequer was reducing waiting lists. If this strike goes ahead, what increase would there be in the waiting lists? Secondly, the Secretary of State in his Statement said that he is putting “money back in … doctors’ pockets by” funding “royal college portfolio, membership and exam fees … backdated to April”,—[Official Report, Commons, 10/12/25; col. 430.] and increasing the allowance for less-than-full-time doctors to £1,500. Where is the money coming from? Is this funded, or will this money be borrowed? Finally, taxpayers spend £4 billion training medics every year. Are the Government persuading resident doctors to keep their social contract with taxpayers? It seems to me that calling this strike at this point in time is a bargain betrayed.

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