Senior doctors in England approve strike action regarding pay

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In a significant development, senior doctors in the NHS in England have voted to strike later this month. This comes as the main nursing union failed to secure a mandate for further industrial action.

The British Medical Association (BMA), representing doctors, announced on Tuesday that consultants will go on strike on July 20 and July 21, following an 86% vote in favor of strikes. The voter turnout was 71%.

The BMA consultants committee demanded that the government provide a credible pay offer for consultants and reform the broken independent pay review process to prevent strikes.

These strikes pose a new challenge for the government, which is already dealing with industrial action demanding pay rises due to the rising cost of living crisis.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), on the other hand, failed to reach the required legal threshold for a new mandate for strike action, despite receiving support from over 100,000 people, or about 84% of the total votes. The RCN ballot, with a 43% overall turnout, did not meet the 50% threshold set by the 2016 Trade Union Act.

In an email to union members, RCN general secretary Pat Cullen emphasized that the fight for fair pay and safe staffing in the NHS is far from over.

The BMA highlighted that due to repeated government interference, take-home pay for consultants in England has decreased by 35% since 2008-09. On strike days, consultants will ensure emergency cover while most routine and elective services will be canceled.

Dr. Vishal Sharma, BMA consultants committee chair, stated that the decision to strike was not taken lightly by the members, but it reflects their frustration with the repeated undervaluation by the government.

Junior doctors, also represented by the BMA, are expected to strike for an unprecedented five days starting from July 13.

The series of strikes by nurses, ambulance workers, and junior doctors have resulted in over 650,000 cancelled operations and procedures by the NHS in England since the first RCN walkout in December last year. This has put Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s promise of reducing waiting lists for treatment at risk.

In April, the government offered a 9% wage increase over two years, along with two one-off payments worth up to £3,789, to nurses and other NHS workers covered by the Agenda for Change framework. This pay deal was approved by the NHS Staff Council, representing 14 health unions. However, it was rejected by slightly over half of the RCN members, leading to the nursing union seeking a fresh mandate for industrial action.

Sir Julian Hartley, CEO of NHS Providers, expressed concern over the “double whammy” of strikes by consultants and junior doctors, highlighting the disruption caused to patients and the added pressure on already overstretched services. He urged both sides to resolve their differences and avoid strikes.

The health department welcomed the end of “hugely disruptive” industrial action by nurses but expressed disappointment at the consultant strikes, urging the BMA to consider the potential impact on patients. It noted that consultants had already received a 4.5% pay increase in the last financial year, bringing average earnings to around £128,000, along with generous changes to pension taxation announced in the Budget.