NHS Consultants to Strike for Two Days Starting Nov 25
The British Medical Association says over 75% of members voted for action after an 18-month dispute over pay and workload.
By Sakura Novak ·
NHS consultants in England will begin a two-day strike at 6.59 a.m. on Nov. 25, according to an announcement from the British Medical Association (BMA). Only emergency services will be covered during the walkout.
The union reported that more than three-quarters of consultants who participated in the recent ballot supported industrial action. BMA leaders stated that the strikes could be avoided if Health Secretary Yvette Cooper agrees to formal negotiations on pay and working conditions. Consultants currently receive a 3.5% pay rise for this year.
This will be the first strike action by English consultants since 2023. The BMA notes that the group has been in dispute with the government since last year, with the conflict now exceeding 18 months. The union argues that the government has ignored concerns regarding consultant wellbeing and workload, effectively pushing senior doctors away from the NHS.
Dr. Helen Neary and Dr. Shanu Datta, co-chairs of the BMA's consultants committee, emphasized that consultants do more than provide frontline care. They stated that these doctors are essential for designing services, training the future workforce, and supervising junior staff. The co-chairs argued that the government is telling consultants they deserve another pay cut even as waiting list progress stalls.
In a statement, Neary and Datta said the BMA had engaged in good faith with practical solutions. They accused ministers of repeatedly delaying decisions. "Unfortunately, that road has now run out and we have been forced to announce strikes," the co-chairs said. They added that while striking is not natural for consultants, the profession has signaled it has reached its limit.
The BMA claims consultants' earnings are a quarter lower in real terms than they were 17 years ago. The union says this decline is steeper than the rest of the economy. It argues that consultants lack the time to dedicate themselves fully to patients, with quality being traded for target-chasing that drives burnout.
The government has four weeks to prevent the action from proceeding. Neary and Datta said they are waiting to hear from the health secretary on how both sides can end the dispute and restore the role of consultants in the NHS.
