THE British Medical Association (BMA) accused the government today of “moving the goalposts” at the last minute on a pay and jobs deal as the union moves to ballot senior doctors in England over strike action.

PM Sir Keir Starmer has accused resident doctors of “recklessly” walking away from the agreement, which the BMA said has seen “very late changes,” resulting in a reduction in the pay offer.

BMA resident doctors committee chairman Dr Jack Fletcher said: “Ministers effectively moved the goalposts on the deal at the last minute.

“The government made very late changes to the pay offer, reducing the pay investment and stretching it over a longer period in a way that had not been previously talked about.”

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he added: “Removing potential doctors’ posts at a time when corridor care and GP queues are already putting the NHS under pressure, is clearly bad for patients.

“Creating posts and improving patient care should not be dependent on calling off a strike.”

The Prime Minister, in response to the threat of a strike, imposed a 48-hour deadline on resident doctors to reconsider the offer.

Last week, the government announced that medics’ pay would rise by 35 per cent over three years, which the union described as a “crushing blow” to doctors.

The deal also promised a minimum of 4,000 new speciality posts to be delivered over that period.

Resident doctors in England are planning to strike for six days from April 7 in the ongoing dispute.

Simultaneous ballots of consultants and specialists, associate specialists and speciality doctors are also expected to run from May 11 to July 6.

Dr Fletcher hit back at the PM’s ultimatum, saying: “These negotiations are not about arbitrary cut-offs, as the Prime Minister seems to think.

“Any ‘deadline’ disappears the moment there is a credible and sustainable offer on the table.

“Our focus remains on getting a good deal for both doctors and for patients, and we are seeking to talk once again with the government later today with every intention of achieving a meaningful outcome that could see the strikes called off and a pay deal we can support.

“Two weeks ago, the government took that investment, reduced it, and then stretched it over three years. That is a very, very, very different outcome to the one that we were discussing just two weeks ago.”

“I’ve been really clear to the Health Secretary in person last week that this does not represent a credible offer, and it does not go far enough.”

In an open letter published in The Times, the PM claimed patients would be left “paying the price,” without addressing claims that the deal had been changed at the last minute.

Instead, he said the agreement was the product of “months of collaboration with the BMA.”

He claimed dropping this version of the deal was “reckless” and that “no-one benefits from rejecting this deal.”

Sir Keir said that the BMA’s decision not to consult medics on this version of the deal would mean “resident doctors are left with less, the NHS is weakened, and patients pay the price.

“There are still 48 hours left to choose a better path. For patients, the NHS, and our doctors — I urge you to take it,” he said.

Dr Fletcher responded, saying he was “very happy to sit down” with officials to “try and negotiate a settlement, but I don’t think that’s done by writing in newspapers and issuing threats unilaterally.”

BMA consultants’ committee co-chairs Dr Shanu Datta and Dr Helen Neary said: “Over recent months, we have been in discussions with government but made clear that without action to reverse a persistent devaluing of the profession, consultants would be forced to seriously consider taking industrial action once again.

“Unfortunately, as these discussions have gone on we have not seen anything like enough progress to give consultants any confidence that their concerns are being taken seriously.”

Due to start at 7am on April 7 and run until 6.59am on April 13, the walkout will be the 15th round of strikes by resident doctors in England since 2023.