Following meetings between the BMA’s consultants committee and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, this month’s industrial action by consultant doctors in England has been paused. The committee agreed to enter formal negotiations with the Government in a bid to resolve the longstanding dispute over consultant pay and working conditions.

At an urgent meeting of the committee last night, members agreed to pause planned action on 25 and 26 November to allow these negotiations to take place.

The BMA’s consultants committee has been seeking meaningful progress on the 25% real-terms pay cuts consultants have experienced over the last 17 years, alongside increasingly unsustainable workloads and worsening working conditions.

BMA consultants committee co-chairs Dr Helen Neary and Dr Shanu Datta said:

“We welcome the opportunity to enter formal negotiations with the Government and hope this marks a turning point in a dispute that has gone on for far too long. We’ve always said strikes do not need to go ahead as long as the Government is willing to genuinely negotiate, and now is their chance to do so. We have received assurances that there are no constraints on what we discuss in these negotiations, and we look forward to hearing their proposals on both pay and working conditions.

“Consultants have lost a quarter of their pay in real terms over 17 years, while working under increasingly unsustainable pressures. But this is about more than pay; it is also about ensuring consultants have the time, recognition and support they need to deliver the best possible care for patients and secure the future of the NHS, while not driving themselves to burn out.

“Pausing strike action in England gives both sides the opportunity to make progress. After 18 months of dispute, however, our patience is not infinite, and should these negotiations fail to swiftly deliver on the issues at the heart of this dispute, we will call further action. Consultants deserve a deal that recognises our value and gives us a sustainable future in the NHS, both for ourselves and our patients.”

Notes to editors

The BMA is a professional association and trade union representing and negotiating on behalf of all doctors in the UK. A leading voice advocating for outstanding health care and a healthy population. An association providing members with excellent individual services and support throughout their lives.