Senior National Health Service consultants in the United Kingdom have voted to strike over pay and working conditions, with the British Medical Association (BMA) demanding a significant pay increase and a reduction in standard working hours. The union is seeking a multi-year pay deal that would amount to an extra 33 percent, or approximately £50,000, for consultants who currently earn an average of £152,000 annually.
In addition to the pay raise, the BMA is also calling for consultant rotas to be reduced from 40 to 35 hours per week. The union also wants higher fees for work performed outside standard hours and for on-call duties that involve disturbances. This development comes shortly after the resolution of an industrial dispute involving resident doctors, a situation that the ruling party had warned could embolden other healthcare staff and lead to substantial costs for taxpayers.
Health secretary James Murray urged consultants not to proceed with further industrial action, expressing concern that strikes could impede efforts to reduce patient waiting lists and negatively impact patient care. Murray stated that consultants are among the highest-paid public sector employees in the country, earning over £152,000 per year after a 28.5 percent increase in basic starting pay over the past four years. He argued that these figures do not justify strikes that would disrupt the NHS.
The potential for consultant strikes is considered more disruptive than those by junior doctors, as consultants provide essential coverage that junior doctors cannot reciprocate. According to the BMA, the vote saw a turnout of 51.53 percent among eligible consultants, with nearly 14,000 (76 percent) voting in favor of striking. This result provides the union with a legal mandate for industrial action for the next 12 months.
However, the Department of Health pointed out that this figure represents only 39.1 percent of BMA-member consultants and about a fifth of all consultants working in the NHS. The cost of granting all 66,759 consultants a £50,000 pay rise has been estimated at £3.3 billion. Consultants in England last went on strike between July and October 2023, including coordinated action with resident doctors.
Political opponents have criticized the government's handling of the situation. Former health secretary Wes Streeting, and current Conservative health spokesman Stuart Andrew, have suggested that the recent vote strengthens the argument for banning doctors from striking, a measure already in place for military and police personnel. Andrew stated that the Labour government lacks the resolve to confront the BMA, potentially leading to further uncertainty for patients.
The BMA maintains that consultant pay has fallen by 26 percent in real terms over the last 17 years and seeks to recover this deficit. The union also highlighted that consultants in England earn £16,000 less than their counterparts in Wales, a disparity they want addressed. Consultants received a 3.5 percent pay increase in March from the government.