Consultants in England will strike for two additional days in September if the government continues to refuse pay talks and fails to present the profession with a credible offer, the British Medical Association has said.
The BMA said on Monday it had written to the health secretary, Steve Barclay, to inform him that on top of strikes by consultants on 24 and 25 August, there would be additional strikes on 19 and 20 September unless the government agreed to further negotiations.
The announcement follows two days of strikes in July and comes before a five-day walkout by junior doctors from Friday. As with the other strike days, September’s strikes will ensure “Christmas Day” cover, so that all emergency services remain in place.
Dr Vishal Sharma, the chair of the BMA consultants committee, said: “It is now 133 days since the secretary of state last met with us, demonstrating the government’s complete disregard for the expertise and value of consultants, and the very future of the health service and its patients.”
He appealed to Barclay to re-engage in discussions in order to avoid further strikes. Sharma said: “Consultants will go out on strike at the end of this month, and for a further two days in September – demonstrating our resolve and clearly signalling to government that we’re in this for the long haul. However, neither of these strikes need to take place at all if the government drops its intransigent position.”
He added: “No consultant wants to take strike action but unless we take a stand, we risk losing our most experienced doctors, putting the very future of the NHS at risk. It’s not too late to avert these strikes and we call upon the health secretary to meet with us urgently.”
Miriam Deakin, the director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, said September’s strikes, just weeks after walkouts by junior doctors and consultants in August, would “pile the pressure on the NHS and lead to more disruption for patients and trusts”.
She said that more than 835,000 operations and appointments had been delayed since December due to strikes, but that the knock-on effects would be felt for months to come.
“Each wave of strikes sets back efforts to cut record high waiting lists, delays care for patients, and leads to mounting costs for trusts. Trust leaders understand the strength of feeling among striking staff. We need the government and unions to find a solution fast, and ideally before the really challenging winter months.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “It is disappointing consultants have announced further strike dates affecting patients and hampering efforts to cut NHS waiting lists.
“We have accepted the independent pay review body recommendations in full, giving consultants a 6% pay rise that will see average basic full-time pay increase by around £6,300 to £111,800 – which in cash terms is above what most in the public and private sectors are receiving.
“This is on top of the 4.5% rise they received last year and generous changes to pension taxation. This pay award is final and we urge the BMA to call an end to strikes.”
