Senior hospital doctors in England are set to embark on a two-day strike on November 25 and 26 over pay and working conditions, following an ongoing dispute with the government, the British Medical Association (BMA) has announced. According to Sky News, the BMA said the government had failed to make…...
Senior hospital doctors in England are set to embark on a two-day strike on November 25 and 26 over pay and working conditions, following an ongoing dispute with the government, the British Medical Association (BMA) has announced.
According to Sky News, the BMA said the government had failed to make any meaningful commitment to resolving concerns about the value and sustainability of consultant roles, accusing ministers of “ignoring concerns” around the “wellbeing and workload” of doctors.
The union said the planned industrial action could be called off if Health Secretary Yvette Cooper commits to formal negotiations on pay and working conditions.
Hospitals are expected to maintain emergency cover during the strike, with staffing arrangements similar to those operated on Christmas Day.
Consultants in England last went on strike in 2023, but their dispute with the government has continued. The latest planned walkout follows a vote by BMA members in July in favour of a mandate for industrial action.
Dr Helen Neary and Dr Shanu Datta, co-chairs of the BMA’s consultants committee, said: “As the most senior and skilled doctors in the NHS, consultants not only provide frontline, life-saving care, but they are central to running and designing services, training and supervising the future workforce, and ensuring patients get the best treatment possible.
“Solving the pressures facing the health service will be impossible without valuing and retaining these doctors. Yet the government is failing to recognise this, ignoring our concerns around consultants’ wellbeing and workload, and pushing them further away from the NHS.
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“And as the much-lauded progress on waiting lists in England stalls, the government is also telling consultants they deserve another pay cut.
“Since we entered into dispute over 18 months ago, we have engaged in good faith with the government, proposing practical solutions, but time and time again ministers have kicked the can down the road. Unfortunately, that road has now run out, and we have been forced to announce strikes.”
The committee has been holding discussions with the government on measures to reduce burnout and encourage consultants to remain in the National Health Service.
Its proposals include providing more protected time for teaching medical trainees, reducing standard working hours to align consultants with other NHS staff and offering greater recognition for demanding out-of-hours work.
The BMA also claims that consultant pay in Ireland can be as much as double the amount earned by their counterparts in England.
The planned strike comes a week after the government recommended a 2.4% pay rise for doctors for the 2027/28 financial year in evidence submitted to the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration.
Responding to the announcement, Ms Cooper said: “The government is working with staff across the NHS to prepare for winter, improve care for patients and make our health service better for the whole workforce.
“NHS England and the Department have been in constructive discussions with the BMA, so it is very disappointing to see the BMA committee choosing this response rather than continuing with that dialogue.
“With colleagues across the NHS, I am determined to support staff and patients through the tough winter period.
“I hope the BMA will stay united with us in that effort, and not take irresponsible action that would place our health service under even greater pressure at this crucial time.”