Consultant doctors in England will embark on a two-day strike next month over disagreements with the government regarding pay and working conditions, with the industrial action scheduled to begin on November 25.
The strike will commence at 6:59 am GMT, with consultants expected to provide emergency services only during the walkout.
The decision follows a ballot conducted by the British Medical Association earlier this year, in which 76 per cent of participating consultants supported strike action.
Voter turnout was slightly above 50 per cent.
Negotiations between the doctors’ union and the government continued over the past month but failed to prevent the planned industrial action.
Consultants, who are among the most senior doctors in the National Health Service, received a 3.5 per cent pay rise this year.
However, the BMA maintains that their earnings have declined by a quarter over the past 17 years when adjusted for inflation.
In a joint statement, the co-chairs of the BMA consultants committee, Dr Helen Neary and Dr Shanu Datta, said they had attempted to reach an agreement with the government through negotiations conducted in “good faith”, but “time-and-time again ministers have kicked the can down the road”.
“Unfortunately, that road has now run out, and we have been forced to announce strikes.
“Consultants take their responsibilities incredibly seriously, and striking does not come naturally, but we are hearing loud and clear from the profession that they have had enough.”
The basic annual salary for consultants ranges from £113,500 for those at the beginning of the pay scale to £150,500 for the most experienced. Additional payments can increase their earnings substantially, with average annual income exceeding £150,000.
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed disappointment over the announcement, saying the government had been engaged in “constructive discussions” with the BMA.
She described the decision to strike as “irresponsible”, warning that the action would “place the health service under even greater pressure”.
