Resident doctors in England have called off strikes which were scheduled to begin on Monday.
The British Medical Association (BMA) said the government had « made a new offer » at the last minute which would be put to its members for a vote.
The walkout had been due to run from 07:00 BST on Monday 15 June until 06:59 Friday 19 June. It would have been the 16th in the long-running dispute over pay.
Health Secretary James Murray said the new offer was a « good deal for resident doctors » and a « chance to draw a line under the damaging disputes of recent years ».
« It is a positive and welcome development -especially for patients – that the BMA have called off these unnecessary strikes, » he said.
« The country simply cannot afford to increase the pay offer for this year. I am pleased that the BMA have recognised this, which has allowed us to make progress in other areas, such as training places and working conditions. »
Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, said: « We have always been clear that no strikes needed to go ahead if we received an offer appropriate to put to our members.
« This should not have been left to the last moment, but we hold up our end of the bargain when the government shifts its position. »
The BMA said the new offer covered « jobs, pay and progression ».
Previously known as junior doctors, resident doctors have received pay rises worth 33% over the past four years, including a 3.5% increase this year.
It means starting salaries are now just over £40,000, with the most senior resident doctors getting £76,500 in basic pay. They can earn thousands more each year for things like working unsociable times and additional hours.
But the BMA argues they are still being paid a fifth less than they were in 2008 once inflation is taken into account.
