Half of public backs junior doctors’ strike – poll

The British Medical Association began its latest five-day walkout on Thursday, spelling further disruption for the NHS in the run-up to the election.

Junior doctors have begun a five-day walkout ahead of the General Election in an ongoing dispute over pay (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

Half of Britons support the junior doctors’ strike and blame the Government for the industrial action, a poll has found.

The British Medical Association (BMA) began its latest five-day walkout on Thursday, spelling further disruption for the NHS in the run-up to the General Election.

A survey published by Ipsos on the first day of the strike found 52% of people support industrial action by junior doctors, up from 46% in May.

Some 50% said they blame the Government for the strikes, while three in five said Rishi Sunak’s administration is doing a bad job in negotiating an end to the action.

Whoever enters Number 10 next week will want to demonstrate that they have a clear plan of action for resolving this and other critical issues facing the health service

Keiran Pedley, Ipsos

Another 26% said both the Government and the doctors are to blame for the strikes, while 16% place the blame solely with the junior doctors.

But there is little consensus on whether a possible Labour replacement would do better after July 4.

While 39% of those questioned said they think Labour would do better, 33% said the party would make no difference and 18% believe it would make things worse.

Keiran Pedley, senior UK director of politics at Ipsos, said: “With the NHS consistently ranking at the top of the issues that matter most to voters this election, whoever enters Number 10 next week will want to demonstrate that they have a clear plan of action for resolving this and other critical issues facing the health service.”

– The online poll surveyed 1,090 British adults between June 12 and 13.