Chelmsford Doctors Walk Out as Broomfield Hospital Joins National Six-Day Resident Doctors’ Strike

Chelmsford, Essex – Resident doctors at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford joined thousands of their colleagues across England on the picket lines today as a six-day strike over pay and jobs began.

The industrial action by British Medical Association (BMA) resident doctors (formerly known as junior doctors) started at 7am on Tuesday 7th April 2026 and is due to continue until 6:59am on Monday 13th April 2026. This marks the 15th round of strikes in the long-running dispute with the Government.

Doctors at Broomfield Hospital – the main acute hospital serving Chelmsford and much of Mid and South Essex – are actively participating in the walkout. Picket lines are expected at the hospital site, with local resident doctors voicing frustration over real-terms pay erosion and pressures on training and working conditions.

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that the strike will cause disruption to services. While emergency and urgent care will continue, many non-urgent appointments, outpatient clinics, and planned procedures at Broomfield and other trust sites are likely to be postponed or rescheduled. Patients with affected appointments should receive direct contact from the hospital.

A spokesperson for the trust urged the public to use services appropriately:

  • Call 999 for life-threatening emergencies
  • Use NHS 111 (online or phone) for urgent but non-emergency advice
  • Contact GP practices or pharmacies for routine matters where possible

The strike comes just after the Easter bank holiday weekend, adding extra pressure on NHS teams who are working hard to maintain safe staffing levels. NHS England has stated that hospitals aim to deliver around 95% of normal planned activity where possible, with priority given to cancer care, urgent treatment, and the longest-waiting patients.

Why Chelmsford Doctors Are Striking

The BMA says the action is necessary after the Government’s latest pay offer fell short of restoring the significant real-terms pay cuts doctors have experienced over the past decade. Resident doctors argue that poor pay, combined with intense workloads and limited training opportunities, is driving many to consider leaving the NHS or the UK altogether.

Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, has described the situation as a “crushing blow” for the profession, while the Government has called the strike “disappointing” and “unnecessary,” pointing to a previous offer that would have made many doctors substantially better off.

This latest walkout is one of the longest in the dispute so far and has raised concerns about cumulative pressure on the NHS in Essex and nationwide.

What This Means for Chelmsford Residents

Local patients are being advised to check their appointments carefully and not to attend Broomfield Hospital unless contacted or in genuine need of emergency care. The trust is working to rearrange postponed care as quickly as possible, but longer waiting times are anticipated in affected areas.