Consultant doctors in England are preparing for a two-day walkout starting on November 25, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing dispute between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government. The strike will begin at 06:59 GMT on that day, with consultants staffing emergency care only. This limited service model, known as Christmas Day cover, is expected to have a major impact on most routine and elective or planned services across the health system.
Pay and Working Conditions Dispute
The announcement follows a month of talks between the BMA and the government, occurring after BMA members voted in favor of strike action in July. Consultants, who are the most senior doctors in hospitals, received a 3.5% pay increase this year. However, the union argues that basic pay has fallen by a quarter over the past 17 years when inflation is taken into account.
Basic pay for consultants starts at £113,500, with the most experienced earning £150,500. Many doctors earn tens of thousands more in extra payments and awards. Despite these figures, the BMA is demanding a reduction in the standard working week from 40 to 35 hours, higher pay for out-of-hours work, and changes to pensions, including greater flexibility over when they can be taken.
In a joint statement, BMA consultants committee co-chairs Dr Helen Neary and Dr Shanu Datta said they had tried to negotiate with the government in good faith. They stated that ministers have kicked the can down the road time and time again. The union noted that the road has now run out, forcing them to announce strikes. They emphasized that consultants take their responsibilities seriously and that striking does not come naturally, but the profession has had enough.
Ballot Results and Government Response
The strike ballot saw 76% of participating consultants vote in favor of action, with just over half of eligible BMA members taking part. The government contends that this represents only around one in five consultants employed by the NHS in England, as nearly half are not BMA members. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said the government had been in constructive discussions with the BMA and found the strike announcement disappointing. She described taking strike action as irresponsible and warned it would place the health service under even greater pressure.
This walkout follows similar strike action by consultants and other doctors in Northern Ireland during November. Consultants last took strike action in England in 2023. A long-running dispute involving resident doctors in England ended earlier this year after more than three years of on-and-off strike action.
Source: BBC
