Senior doctors in the United Kingdom, earning an average of £152,000 annually, have voted to strike over pay and working conditions. The British Medical Association (BMA) is seeking a multi-year pay deal that would amount to an additional 33%, or approximately £50,000 per consultant. The union is also advocating for a reduction in standard working hours from 40 to 35 per week, along with increased compensation for out-of-hours work and on-call duties.
This development follows a period of industrial action by resident doctors, which the governing party had criticized opposition for allegedly appeasing with pay increases. Health officials have expressed concern that consultant strikes could be more disruptive than those by junior doctors, as consultants can cover for absent resident doctors, but the reverse is not possible. The Department of Health noted that the vote resulted in a mandate that lasts 12 months, but emphasized that only a fraction of all eligible consultants voted in favor of striking.
According to the BMA, consultant pay has decreased by 26% in real terms over the past 17 years. The union also highlighted a pay disparity, stating that consultants in England on the highest pay band earn £16,000 less than their counterparts in Wales. The government had previously awarded consultants a 3.5% pay increase in March.
Opposition political figures have criticized the government's approach, suggesting that a failure to address the dispute could lead to further uncertainty for patients and the National Health Service (NHS). They have also raised concerns about the potential financial implications for taxpayers, estimating that a significant pay increase for all consultants could cost billions of pounds.
The BMA reported that 35,067 consultants were eligible to vote in the recent ballot, with 18,069 participating, resulting in a turnout of 51.53%. Of those who voted, nearly 14,000, or 76%, indicated their willingness to strike. This outcome provides the union with a legal mandate for industrial action. The Department of Health, however, pointed out that this means only 39.1% of BMA consultants voted for strike action, which represents about one-fifth of all consultants working in the NHS.
Consultants in England last participated in strike action between July and October 2023, with some of those actions coinciding with resident doctor strikes. The potential financial impact of the BMA's demands is substantial; providing all 66,759 consultants in the health service with an additional £50,000 would cost an estimated £3.3 billion. Some political figures have reiterated calls for a ban on doctors striking, citing similar restrictions for military and police personnel.