Consultants and SAS doctors have backed the prospect of resorting to industrial action to secure pay restoration, the results of two polls have revealed.
The BMA is urging the Government to work with it to restore senior doctors’ pay, value and professionalism after indicative ballots of senior doctors in England showed a strong willingness to take future strike action.
The ballots, which were conducted between 21 July and 1 September, and revealed that 67 per cent of consultants and 82 per cent of specialist, associate specialist and specialty doctors were willing to strike as part of continuing efforts to tackle pay erosion and poor working conditions.
Association leaders are urging health secretary Wes Streeting to meet and find a way forward on restoring pay, which in the case of consultants and SAS doctors has diminished in real terms by 26 per cent and 24 per cent respectively since 2008/09.
Responding to the ballots, BMA consultants committee co-chairs Helen Neary and Shanu Datta said that the results were ‘a clear sign of our members’ deep concern with the erosion to their pay’.
Meanwhile BMA SAS committee chair Ujjwala Mohite said that the outcome showed that SAS doctors were ‘tired of being taken for granted and are willing to fight for improvements to pay’.