Senior hospital doctors in England will walk out for two days in November, the British Medical Association (BMA) announced on Monday 26 October. Consultants will strike from 06:59 on 25 November until 06:59 on 27 November, with emergency cover maintained at a level similar to staffing on Christmas Day. Routine appointments and planned operations are likely to be affected.

Why consultants say they are acting

The dispute centres on pay and working conditions. The BMA says consultants were given a 3.5% rise this year, but argues the government's proposed 2.4% uplift for 2027/28, put to the doctors' pay review body in mid-October, falls well below inflation — September's consumer prices index stood at 3.5%. The union also says senior doctors' pay has fallen by about a quarter in real terms over the past 17 years, and complains that ministers have ignored concerns about wellbeing and workload. Members voted in favour of industrial action in July, and consultants last struck in 2023. The BMA says the November walkout can still be avoided if Health Secretary Yvette Cooper commits to formal, properly funded negotiations on pay and conditions.

Government response and wider action

The Health Secretary described the announcement as very disappointing, saying her department and NHS England had been in constructive discussions with the union and warning that industrial action as winter approaches would be irresponsible. NHS leaders have urged both sides to reach a deal, warning that postponed clinics and operations would add to pressure on waiting lists. The BMA also notes separate developments elsewhere in the UK: balloting of consultants in Scotland has begun, and strike action is planned in Northern Ireland in November. For now, the BMA says it has given the government four weeks to find a way to stop the English strike going ahead.

Source: BMA