Brief
BMA says senior NHS doctors will strike on 25‑26 November over pay
The BMA warned that a strike could be averted if Health Secretary Yvette Cooper agrees to formal talks on pay and workload.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Senior doctors in England plan to strike for two days in November, the British Medical Association (BMA) announced on 26 October. The consultants committee set the dates for 25 and 26 November, citing concerns over pay, wellbeing and workload.
What happened
The BMA said the strike can be avoided if Health Secretary Yvette Cooper commits to formal negotiations on doctors' pay and working conditions. Emergency cover will continue during the walkout, similar to Christmas‑day staffing. The Department of Health and Social Care had recommended a 2.4% pay rise for doctors for the 2027/28 financial year, but the BMA argues the increase is insufficient given inflation and rising NHS demands.
What the reports add
The Independent notes that the strike follows a BMA mandate for industrial action voted on in July. It also points out that consultants last struck in 2023. The article highlights that the BMA claims doctors' real‑term pay is a quarter down from 17 years ago and that workload pressures are driving burnout.
What was said
Dr Helen Neary and Dr Shanu Datta, co‑chairs of the BMA’s consultants committee, told the Independent: “As the most senior and skilled doctors in the NHS, consultants not only provide frontline, life‑saving care, but they are central to running and designing services, training and supervising the future workforce… The government has four weeks to avoid any action taking place.”
How it came about
The strike follows a July BMA vote authorising industrial action and a series of negotiations that the union says have stalled. Earlier this month, Unite called a strike by London hospital staff over pay, showing broader NHS staff unrest.
Key facts
- Senior NHS doctors plan a two‑day strike on 25‑26 November. (independent.co.uk)
- The BMA says the strike can be avoided if Health Secretary Yvette Cooper agrees to formal pay talks. (independent.co.uk)
- The Department of Health and Social Care recommended a 2.4% pay rise for doctors for 2027/28. (independent.co.uk)
- Consultants last went on strike in 2023. (independent.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] independent.co.uk — originally reported as “Senior NHS doctors to strike over pay row”
