Consultant doctors in England to strike next month
Senior doctors to stage 48-hour walkout, beginning on 25 November, in dispute over pay and pensions.
By BBC News
Consultant doctors in England are due to stage a 48-hour strike on 25 and 26 November in a dispute over pay and pensions.
The walkout will begin at 06:59 GMT on 25 November and run until 06:59 on 27 November. Consultants will provide emergency cover during the action, using staffing arrangements similar to those in place on Christmas Day.
The British Medical Association said the strike followed a ballot in which 76% of participating consultants voted in favour of industrial action. Turnout was just over the 50% threshold required for the mandate.
Consultants are the most senior doctors working in the NHS. They received a 3.5% pay increase this year, but the BMA says pay has fallen by about 25% in real terms over the past 17 years.
The union has also raised concerns about workloads, working conditions and the effect of pressure on consultants’ wellbeing. Talks between the BMA and the Government have taken place over the past month.
The BMA said the action could still be avoided if the Health Secretary committed to formally funded negotiations on pay and working conditions.
The planned strike is expected to affect NHS services across England, although emergency care will continue during the two-day walkout.