Senior doctors in England will walk out for two days in November after talks with the Government failed to resolve a long-running dispute over pay and pensions, the British Medical Association (BMA) has announced.
Consultants are due to take industrial action on November 25 and 26, with emergency care set to continue during the walkouts. The move follows a ballot earlier this year in which 76 per cent of participating BMA members supported strike action.
Talks fail to prevent walkout
The union said it has been in discussions with the Government in recent weeks but that insufficient progress had been made to prevent it from setting dates for industrial action. Consultants were given a 3.5 per cent pay increase this year.
This will be the first strike involving consultants in England since 2023, when senior doctors staged a series of walkouts between July and October. Some of that action took place alongside resident doctors, then known as junior doctors.
Impact on NHS services
Emergency care will be maintained during the two-day strike, though the full impact on routine services has yet to be detailed. Further announcements are expected as the walkout dates approach.
