Senior doctors in England are ready to take a stand and strike over pay disputes, following the resident doctors’ strikes in July
Senior doctors in England are threatening industrial action over unresolved pay disputes, raising concerns about potential disruption to NHS services. The British Medical Association (BMA) warns that unless government negotiations are successful, hospitals and patients could face delays in care, potentially impacting critical services nationwide.
Senior doctors want restored pay, value and recognition
Following this year’s announcement of a 4% sub-inflationary pay uplift for consultants and SAS (specialist, associate specialist and speciality) doctors, the BMA launched indicative ballots in July.
They found that 67% of consultants who participated in their poll said they would be willing to take industrial action, with 82% of SAS doctors expressing the same sentiment. Even with the 4% uplift, pay for consultants is still down 26% in real terms compared with 2008/09, and SAS doctor pay is down 24%.
The BMA will meet with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care this week, presenting their findings and seeking a commitment to address the key issues facing senior doctors.
How will the Senior doctors’ strikes impact the NHS?
Senior doctor strikes in the NHS can significantly affect patients by delaying non-emergency procedures such as elective surgeries, routine appointments, and diagnostic tests, potentially worsening conditions that require timely treatment.
Emergency services may remain operational, but reduced senior doctor availability can lead to increased waiting times and strain on urgent care, while limiting supervision for junior staff could impact complex decision-making. Patients may also experience heightened anxiety and stress due to uncertainty and disruptions in care.
Regional variations mean some hospitals or specialised services could be disproportionately impacted, despite NHS efforts to maintain emergency cover and redistribute workloads.
Sustained industrial action will make winter difficult
BMA consultants committee co-chairs Dr Helen Neary and Dr Shanu Datta said: “This is a clear sign of our members’ deep concern over the erosion to their pay, pensions and the value placed on their professionalism, not just in the most recent year, but over the last decade and more.
“Consultants’ pay is still more than a quarter down on 2008 levels, and lagging way behind other professions, which are well on the way to – or have already experienced – having their pay restored.
“We know from our dispute two years ago that taking industrial action does not come lightly for consultants, but these responses show that they are still willing to stand up to secure much-needed improvements to their working lives and conditions; changes that are so needed to keep consultants and their expertise working here, seeing patients, leading services, innovating treatments, and ultimately improving the health of the broader population.
“We know that the Secretary of State understands that his and the Government’s ambitions to improve health services and the health of the nation cannot be done without our most expert clinicians, and we look forward to discussing how the country can both recruit and retain consultants, and avoid them having to take to the picket line once more.”
BMA SAS committee chair Dr Ujjwala Mohite said: “SAS doctors are the unsung heroes of the NHS – hardworking, but for too long overlooked and undervalued. Today’s results show that this invaluable group of doctors will no longer take this lying down and are willing to stand up and be recognised.
“SAS doctors are tired of being taken for granted, and are willing to fight for improvements to pay, career progression and development, so they are no longer the ‘forgotten workforce’.
Rory Deighton, acute director at the NHS Confederation, responded to this news: “Health leaders and the patients they serve will not want to see the spectre of further industrial action by senior doctors and an autumn of disruption to services in the NHS. Further and sustained industrial action will also make winter much more difficult. It will only lead to tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of appointments and operations being placed at risk of being cancelled, leaving patients continuing to wait for treatment in pain and discomfort. Patients with complex conditions who also rely on their consultants could also find their treatment plans disrupted.
“The government’s ambitious Ten-Year Health Plan has set out a roadmap to deliver significant reforms for the NHS – there are now genuine concerns that further and prolonged periods of industrial action will inevitably make achieving early progress on these major reforms much more challenging.
“Our members will continue to try to provide the best care possible and maintain patient safety during any periods of industrial action.
“We would urge BMA representatives to engage with the government to try and urgently find a resolution that addresses the concerns of their members while protecting the delivery of vital services to the public.”
“The Government ignores this senior medical workforce at its peril, and we’re looking forward to getting around the table to discuss how ministers can properly value and support SAS doctors so that they can excel and continue to offer their full potential to patients and the NHS.”
