Consultant doctors call off England strike to hold talks
The British Medical Association has paused action planned for late November while formal negotiations with ministers begin.
Key points
- Consultant doctors in England have called off a two-day strike due to begin on 25 November.
- The British Medical Association says it is pausing action to negotiate pay and working conditions.
- Formal talks with the government's negotiating team could start as soon as this week.
- Government sources say a bigger pay rise this year is not on the table.
- Health Secretary Yvette Cooper welcomed the cancellation.
Doctors who work as consultants in England have cancelled a two-day walkout, according to BBC News. The action had been scheduled to start on 25 November, with consultants covering only emergency care. The British Medical Association, the doctors’ trade union, said it had halted the action in order to negotiate with ministers over salaries and job conditions.
The strike would have covered what is known as Christmas Day cover. Such action was expected to have a major effect on most routine and planned hospital services. The union has now agreed to enter formal negotiations with the government’s negotiating team, and these could begin as soon as this week.
Why the dispute began
Consultants, the most senior doctors in hospitals, received a 3.5% pay increase this year. The BMA contends that, once price rises are factored in, consultant earnings have lost roughly one quarter of their value across the previous 17 years. It notes, however, that this calculation relies on a measure of inflation that is usually higher than the one economists prefer.
The union has also raised several other demands. These include cutting the standard working week from 40 hours to 35, higher pay for out-of-hours work, and changes to pensions. One proposed change would give doctors more flexibility over when they take their pension benefits.
Positions of the two sides
In a joint statement, the BMA consultants committee co-chairs, Dr Helen Neary and Dr Shanu Datta, said the union welcomed formal talks and hoped they would mark a turning point. They said strikes would not go ahead if the government was willing to negotiate in good faith. They also said they had been assured there were no limits on what could be discussed.
Officials on the government side, however, ruled out a bigger salary increase for this year. They cited the condition of public spending and the existing level of consultant pay, where average earnings are above £150,000 a year. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said the decision to cancel was good for patients and for the health service as a whole. She said she had held a productive exchange with the BMA about changes that might give consultants more influence, more room to manage their work and greater scope to innovate.
Strike ballot and wider context
In the earlier strike ballot, 76% of consultants who voted backed strike action. Just over half of eligible BMA members took part in the vote. The government has noted that this represents only around one in five NHS consultants in England, as nearly half of them are not BMA members.
Meetings between the two sides have taken place over recent months, but the formal negotiations mark a new stage. Whether they will lead to an agreement on pay and conditions remains unclear, as the sources confirm only that talks are about to start.
Frequently asked questions
Why were consultant doctors planning a strike?
The British Medical Association says consultant earnings have lost roughly a quarter of their value over 17 years after inflation is accounted for. The union also wants a 35-hour working week, higher out-of-hours pay and pension changes.
When would the strike have started?
The two-day strike was due to begin on 25 November at 06:59 GMT. It has now been called off while talks take place.
Will the government offer a bigger pay rise?
Officials on the government side ruled out a larger salary increase this year, pointing to the condition of public spending. Formal talks are expected to begin soon.
Sources
This article was written with the help of AI from reports by the outlets listed above. See our Editorial Policy. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
