Opposition to resident doctors’ strikes has risen significantly, Ipsos poll reveals

Polling by Ipsos in the UK reveals public opposition to the resident doctors’ strikes has risen significantly, from 31% in June 2024 to 45% in November 2025, while support has declined from 52% to 28%. This increase in opposition reflects a growing divide in public sentiment as resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, begin a five-day walkout. Fieldwork was conducted from the 31st October – 3rd November, before the latest wave of strike action began.

Key findings

• Support and opposition: The proportion of those opposing the strikes has grown to 45% (up from 31% in June 2024), while support has declined from 52% to 28%.
• Public sympathy: Public sympathy continues to sit predominantly with NHS patients, with 84% expressing a great deal of sympathy for them. Conversely, sympathy for resident doctors has decreased sharply from 60% to 50% from June 2024 to November 2025.
• Perception of responsibility: While the public still believe that the government is more at fault for the protracted nature of the dispute than resident doctors (32% compared with 20%), this perception has shifted since June 2024. The proportion thinking the government is at fault has declined from 50% to 32%. Conversely, those attributing equal blame to both parties has risen from 26% to 31%, and slightly more now believe that the resident doctors are more at fault than in June 2024 (up from 16% to 20%).

Commenting on the findings, Kate Duxbury, Research Director at Ipsos said:

While the public remains largely sympathetic to NHS patients, the decline in sympathy for resident doctors signals potential challenges in maintaining public support for future strike action. With a reduction in those blaming the government solely for the dispute, there is a clear indication that the public increasingly perceive shared responsibility for the ongoing disruption to the health service. As we head into a difficult winter for the NHS, these findings underscore the urgent need for a resolution from all parties’ perspectives.

Technical note: 

• Ipsos interviewed 1,087 online British adults aged 1 8-75 from the 31st of October – 3rd November 2025.   
• Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.