NHS consultants narrowly reject government pay offer meaning strike action could continue

NHS consultants in England have narrowly rejected a pay offer from the government – meaning long-running strike action could continue.

Consultants are joined by junior doctors on a picket line outside University College Hospital, London, in October 2023. Pic: PA

The senior doctors, known as consultants, ceased strike action in November 2023 after receiving the offer of a 4.95% pay rise on top of the annual 6% increase.

Members of the British Medical Association (BMA), the trade union for doctors in the UK, have been voting on the offer this month.

The doctors voted 51.1% against it.

The agreement also sought to reform the pay structure for senior doctors reducing the number of pay brackets and the time it takes to reach the top and making a clearer link between pay progression and experience.

BMA consultants committee chair Vishal Sharma said: “The vote has shown that consultants do not feel the current offer goes far enough to end the current dispute and offer a long-term solution to the recruitment and retention crisis for senior doctors.

“However, with the result so close, the consultants committee is giving the government a chance to improve the offer.

“In the coming days we will be further engaging with consultants, and seeking talks with government to explore whether the concerns expressed by our members during the referendum process can be addressed.”

Medics from the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) union also rejected the offer earlier this month.

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The NHS in England has been beset by strike action for more than a year.

Walkouts by various staff groups including doctors, nurses, paramedics and physiotherapists have led to more than 1.3 million appointments, procedures and operations being rescheduled.

Consultants have staged four rounds of strike action in the current dispute, including an unprecedented joint walkout with junior doctors across September and October 2023.

Junior doctors in England are currently being balloted to see if they want to continue strike action in their long-running dispute over pay.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said its members are being asked if they want to extend industrial action for another six months.