Senior doctors in England have paused a planned two-day strike, scheduled for later this month, following the government’s agreement to formal negotiations on pay and working conditions.
The British Medical Association (BMA) announced the move after meetings with the government, which had been accused of “ignoring concerns” around the “wellbeing and workload” of medics.
The BMA consultants committee co-chairs, Dr Helen Neary and Dr Shanu Datta, said: "We welcome the opportunity to enter formal negotiations with the government and hope this changes the course of a dispute that has gone on for far too long." We’ve always said strikes do not need to go ahead as long as the government is willing to genuinely negotiate and now is their chance to do so.
We have received assurances that there are no constraints on what we discuss in these negotiations, and we look forward to hearing their proposals on both pay and working conditions.”
The strike, set for November 25 and 26, was called after the union accused the government of failing to address its concerns. In the strike ballot, 76% of consultants who took part voted in favour of action, with just over half of eligible BMA members participating. The government noted this represents only around one in five NHS-employed consultants in England, as nearly half are not BMA members.
However, the BMA warned that “patience is not infinite” and further strikes will be announced if talks fail.
Dr Neary and Dr Datta stated: “Consultants have lost a quarter of their pay in real terms over 17 years, while working under increasingly unsustainable pressures. But this is about more than pay; it is also about ensuring consultants have the time, recognition and support they need to deliver the best possible care for patients and secure the future of the NHS, while not driving themselves to burn out.”
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper welcomed the cancellation of the strike. She said: “The BMA consultants committee’s decision to call off planned strike action is welcome news for patients and the wider NHS, avoiding disruption to care and allowing NHS staff to focus on delivering services and preparing for a challenging winter. I had a constructive discussion with the BMA consultants committee on reforms that could give consultants a stronger voice, greater flexibility and more freedom to innovate, while improving services for patients.”
Government sources indicated that a larger pay rise for consultants was not on the table due to the state of public finances and their current average earnings, which top £150,000 a year. The government had previously stated its plan for a 2.4% pay rise for 2027/2028 would not require trade-offs against its health commitments.
The BMA said formal talks could start as soon as this week. The union added: “Pausing strike action in England gives both sides the opportunity to make progress. After 18 months of dispute, however, our patience is not infinite, and should these negotiations fail to swiftly deliver on the issues at the heart of this dispute, we will call further action.”
