This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jun/27/senior-doctors-in-england-vote-to-strike-over-pay

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Senior NHS doctors in England vote to strike over pay Senior NHS doctors in England vote to strike over pay
(about 2 hours later)
BMA members back industrial action for consultants after talks with ministers about restoring pay levels broke down BMA members back industrial action for consultants after talks with ministers about restoring pay levels break down
Senior doctors in England have voted to strike in overwhelming numbers for the first time in the row over pay.Senior doctors in England have voted to strike in overwhelming numbers for the first time in the row over pay.
More than 24,000 consultants in England voted in the British Medical Association’s ballot (a turnout of 71%), with 20,741 (86%) voting for industrial action. The ballot closed earlier on Tuesday.More than 24,000 consultants in England voted in the British Medical Association’s ballot (a turnout of 71%), with 20,741 (86%) voting for industrial action. The ballot closed earlier on Tuesday.
It means that hospital consultants are set to go on strike for two days from 20 July. It means hospital consultants will go on strike for two days from 7am on 20 July.
The BMA’s consultants committee urged members to vote in favour of strike action after talks with ministers about restituting pay levels, which have declined in real terms by 35% since 2008-09, broke down.The BMA’s consultants committee urged members to vote in favour of strike action after talks with ministers about restituting pay levels, which have declined in real terms by 35% since 2008-09, broke down.
There are more than 58,000 consultants in the NHS, according to the latest figures. There are more than 58,000 consultants in the NHS, according to the latest figures, with 33,915 entitled to vote in the ballot.
Their decision follows an unprecedented move by thousands of junior doctor to go on strike across England for five days in the longest such industrial action in the history of the NHS. They will strike from 7am on 13 July until 7am on 18 July, resulting in thousands of cancelled operations and appointments. The BMA announced late last week that thousands of junior doctors will go on strike across England for five days in the longest such industrial action in the history of the NHS. They will strike from 7am on 13 July until 7am on 18 July, resulting in thousands of cancelled operations and appointments.
Dr Vishal Sharma, the BMA consultants committee chair, wrote to the health secretary, Steve Barclay, to say that consultants had secured “a clear mandate” to strike.
He said: “We know consultants don’t take the decision around industrial action lightly, but this vote shows how furious they are at being repeatedly devalued by government. Consultants are not worth a third less than we were 15 years ago and have had enough.”
Sharma said strike action could be averted if the government presented a “credible offer” for its members that would begin to reverse the real-terms pay decline and commit to changing the pay review process to better account for historical pay erosion.
Without this, he said, more of the NHS’s “most experienced, highly skilled clinicians” would choose early retirement or leave the country, which would be “devastating for services, patients and the future of the NHS”.
He confirmed that while most routine and elective services would be cancelled, patient safety and emergency care would be prioritised, similar to the level of services typically available on Christmas Day.
The six-week lead time from the ballot’s launch will also enable consultants and their colleagues to put in place early plans to manage patient lists and prioritise urgent care.
Sir Julian Hartley, the chief executive of NHS Providers, said trust leaders, staff and patients were “dreading industrial action by consultants next month, hard on the heels of a five-day strike by junior doctors”.
He said this “double whammy” in effect amounted to “the longest single strike ever seen in the NHS”, and would result in disruption for thousands of patients and more pressure on overstretched services, compounding the effects of eight consecutive months of industrial action across the NHS, which has resulted in 651,000 routine operations and appointments being postponed since December.
“This is a huge risk for the NHS to manage,” Hartley said.
“We understand how strongly doctors feel – the high turnout in the consultants’ vote shows just how strongly – and why they are striking. Trust leaders will continue to do everything they can to limit disruption and keep patients safe but that’s getting harder and more expensive with every strike. These strikes don’t have to go ahead. There’s still time for the government and the doctors’ unions to settle their differences and find a way through.
“The urgency can’t be overstated. Trust leaders want the government and unions to sit down, facilitated by a third party if necessary, to find a way to end strikes.”
The Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) president, Dr Naru Narayanan, said strikes by senior doctors were “absolutely unprecedented” and used to be considered “unthinkable”.
“This tense situation is not just going to go away by itself,” he said. “You can’t cut senior doctors’ salaries by over 30% and not expect that to have an impact, whether that be expressed in growing support for strike action or individuals simply choosing to pack up and retire.
“The government must now sit down with the recognised unions and reach a deal.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We hugely value the work of NHS consultants and it is disappointing the BMA consultants have voted to take strike action. Consultants received a 4.5% pay uplift last financial year, increasing average earnings to about £128,000, and they will benefit from generous changes to pension taxation announced at budget.
“Strikes are hugely disruptive for patients and put pressure on other NHS staff. We’ve been engaging with the BMA consultants committee on their concerns already and stand ready to open talks again – we urge them to come to the negotiating table rather than proceeding with their proposed strike dates.
“We urge the BMA to carefully consider the likely impact of any action on patients.”