The BMA’s new chair takes hard line in an escalating confrontation with the government, as junior doctors in England prepare for what could become the longest NHS strike in history. Dr. Tom Dolphin, freshly elected to lead the British Medical Association, shows no signs of backing down from demands for a 29% pay increase despite his past Labour Party affiliations.
Dolphin, a consultant anesthetist at St Mary’s Hospital in London, once aspired to sit on Labour’s benches. After failing to secure selection as a parliamentary candidate last year, he now leads 55,000 resident doctors into battle against a Labour government.
“The BMA is nonpartisan,” Dolphin insists, distancing himself from his political past. “My role now is to represent doctors, not a party.” His defiant stance comes as members voted overwhelmingly for strikes lasting up to six months, beginning with a five-day walkout later this month.
The BMA’s new chair takes hard line on the union’s pay demand, dismissing criticism that it is unrealistic. “This isn’t just about catch-up for years of real-terms cuts,” he argues. “It’s about valuing doctors properly to retain them in the NHS.”
Public support appears weaker than during last year’s strikes, which secured a 22% raise over two years. Dolphin remains undeterred: “Solidarity forced the government to listen before. We’ll make them listen again.”
The 47-year-old doctor acknowledges the personal toll of leadership. “The BMA fills nearly all my time now,” says Dolphin, who has paused his passion for skydiving. Colleagues describe a meticulous negotiator who combines clinical experience with political savvy from his years as a local Labour activist.
His election follows controversy over his stance on trans healthcare, having challenged aspects of the Cass Review. Critics within the BMA questioned this position, but supporters praised his willingness to tackle difficult issues.
With the first strike set for July 25-30, Health Secretary Wes Streeting faces his first major NHS crisis. The government warns walkouts will “cause significant harm to patients,” while Dolphin counters that understaffing poses the greater danger.
As the BMA’s new chair takes hard line, both sides dig in for a battle that could define the early years of this administration – and determine whether Labour can maintain its fragile truce with health workers.
For more political updates, visit London Pulse News.
