UK Consultant Doctors Plan Two-Day Strike Over Pay, Working Conditions

Consultant doctors in England are set to stage a two-day strike in November over pay, pensions and working conditions, following a breakdown in negotiations with the government.

The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents the doctors, announced on Monday, October 26, that the industrial action would take place on November 25 and 26, beginning at 6:59 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time.

The planned walkout is expected to disrupt routine appointments, elective operations and other planned National Health Service services. Consultants will, however, maintain emergency care under arrangements similar to those operated on Christmas Day.

The union said the decision followed months of discussions with the government over concerns about consultants’ pay, workload, professional wellbeing and the long-term sustainability of their roles within the NHS.

Consultants received a 3.5 per cent pay increase this year. However, the BMA argues that their earnings have fallen by approximately 25 per cent in real terms over the past 17 years because pay increases have not kept pace with inflation.

The union is also seeking a reduction in the standard working week from 40 hours to 35 hours, improved compensation for out-of-hours work and changes to pension arrangements, including greater flexibility over when pensions can be accessed.

The dispute has intensified following the government’s recommendation of a 2.4 per cent pay increase for doctors for the 2027/2028 financial year. The BMA argues that the proposed increase would amount to another real-terms pay cut, particularly as UK consumer price inflation stood at 3.5 per cent in September.

In a joint statement, BMA consultants committee co-chairs Dr Helen Neary and Dr Shanu Datta said the union had attempted to negotiate in good faith but had not secured sufficient progress on its demands.

The BMA has said the strikes could still be avoided if Health Secretary Yvette Cooper commits to properly funded formal negotiations covering pay and working conditions.

Cooper described the announcement as disappointing, saying the government had engaged in constructive discussions with the union. She warned that industrial action would place additional pressure on the NHS as it prepares for the winter period.

The BMA said consultants take their responsibilities to patients seriously but believe action is necessary to secure meaningful progress. The planned strike would be the first consultant walkout in England since 2023.