England’s senior hospital doctors are to strike for two days in November, raising the prospect of fresh disruption to NHS services as hospitals prepare for winter pressures and ministers struggle to resolve a protracted dispute over pay and working conditions.
The British Medical Association (BMA) confirmed that consultants would walk out from November 25, providing emergency cover only during the 48-hour action. The decision follows a union ballot in which 76 per cent of consultants who voted backed strike action, on a turnout just above the 50 per cent threshold required.
The dispute centres on pay, pensions, workload and what doctors say is the Government’s failure to recognise the contribution of the NHS’s most senior clinicians. The announcement comes despite recent negotiations, with the union warning that the opportunity to reach a settlement is running out.
In a joint statement, Dr Helen Neary and Dr Shanu Datta, co-chairs of the BMA consultants committee, accused ministers of repeatedly delaying meaningful progress.
“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,” they said. “Unfortunately, that road has now run out and we have been forced to announce strikes.”
The union argues that consultants are central not only to frontline patient care but also to managing hospital services, training junior colleagues and improving clinical standards. It warned that difficulties retaining experienced doctors could compound existing pressures on the health service.
“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,” the co-chairs said.
They also criticised the Government’s approach to pay, claiming consultants’ earnings remain a quarter lower in real terms than 17 years ago. Although consultants received a 3.5 per cent pay increase this year, the union says the longer-term decline in purchasing power has not been adequately addressed.
The BMA further warned that excessive workloads and an emphasis on meeting targets were undermining doctors’ wellbeing and limiting the time available to improve services.
The planned action would be the first consultant strike in England since 2023. The union said it could still be avoided if Health Secretary Yvette Cooper committed to formal negotiations on pay and working conditions.
“The Government has four weeks to avoid any action taking place,” the committee’s co-chairs said, adding that they wanted to reach an agreement that would end the dispute and restore the role of consultants in the NHS.
Cooper expressed disappointment at the announcement, saying the Government had been engaged in constructive discussions with the BMA and urging doctors to continue negotiating rather than strike.
“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,” she said.
She added that it was “very disappointing” that the BMA committee had chosen strike action instead of continuing the dialogue.
“With colleagues across the NHS, I am determined to support staff and patients through the tough winter period,” Cooper said. She urged the union not to take what she called “irresponsible action” that could place the health service under greater pressure.
With four weeks remaining before the planned walkout, the dispute presents ministers with a narrow window to reach an agreement before winter pressures intensify. For patients, the immediate concern is whether negotiations can avert another period of disruption at a time when hospitals are already preparing for heightened demand.
Leave a Comment