NHS Consultants Issue Strike Ultimatum to Government
Hospital consultants across England are preparing to join junior doctors in taking industrial action over pay, potentially creating massive disruption for the National Health Service and presenting ministers with a significant new challenge.
The British Medical Association's consultants committee has been negotiating with the Department of Health and Social Care since September, seeking an improved pay settlement beyond the 4% increase already imposed for 2025/26.
Consultants argue they deserve a 5.5% salary increase this year - representing an additional 1.5% above the current offer - reflecting the critical nature of their work within the healthcare system.
December Deadline for Resolution
Frustrated by what BMA sources describe as lack of progress in discussions, consultants have delivered Health Secretary Wes Streeting an ultimatum: reach a satisfactory agreement by 31 December or face the prospect of industrial action.
If no deal is achieved by the year-end deadline, the consultants committee plans to hold a formal ballot for industrial action in January. Should the ballot meet the legal requirements of 50% turnout and 50% agreement, strikes could commence shortly thereafter.
This development comes as resident doctors - formerly known as junior doctors - begin their latest walkout, adopting a more aggressive strategy in their campaign for a 26% pay increase.
Escalating Doctor Strikes Threaten NHS Stability
The potential coordination of strikes by both of the NHS's main medical groups during the first half of 2026 could create chaos throughout the health service, directly challenging the government's flagship commitment to "fix the NHS" by reducing treatment delays.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, expressed grave concerns about the impact of further industrial action: "Consultants voting to down tools would be a bitter pill to swallow for NHS staff who are working hard to recover performance and reform services."
He emphasised that "more strikes over winter would cause huge disruption to patient care during the busiest period of the year for the NHS" and warned that such action would jeopardise progress in reducing waiting lists while diverting funds from already strained budgets.
The ongoing pay dispute reflects deeper tensions within the medical profession. Consultants maintain that the real value of their salaries has been eroded by 26% since 2008/09 due to inflation and successive years of modest pay awards.
An indicative ballot conducted earlier revealed that two-thirds of consultants would support strike action for better pay, though the turnout fell below the 50% threshold required for official industrial action.
Resident Doctors Intensify Campaign
Meanwhile, resident doctors are escalating their own pay campaign, with thousands participating in what marks their 13th strike since the dispute began. The current walkout commenced at 7am on Friday and will continue until 7am on Wednesday 19 November.
In a significant hardening of tactics, resident doctors have decided to stage walkouts every month throughout 2026 if they secure a fresh legal mandate for continued industrial action. Their current mandate expires on 6 January, with the BMA's ruling council already approving a request to reballot approximately 60,000 resident members.
The BMA's resident doctors committee has received overwhelming support from its voting members for adopting this more militant approach, which may include longer walkouts than previously seen. The longest strike to date lasted six days in January 2024.
The cumulative impact of medical strikes since 2022 has been substantial, with the NHS in England forced to reschedule at least 1.7 million outpatient appointments and operations.
Political Fallout and Government Response
A potential double strike by both consultant and resident doctors would represent a serious setback for Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who recently launched a strong attack on the BMA, accusing the union of behaving like a "cartel" and making unreasonable demands that threaten the NHS's future.
Streeting has highlighted that resident doctors have received a 28.9% pay increase since 2022, while consultants earn an average of £127,540 annually. The Department of Health and Social Care remains confident that consultants will not proceed with strike action, citing the previous indicative ballot results.
A government spokesperson stated: "The BMA's indicative ballot showed that the vast majority of their consultants aren't prepared to go on strike, and rightly so." They emphasised that "new full-time consultants have seen their basic pay increase by 24% over the past three years, with an average salary of £145,000 a year."
However, the BMA maintains its position that all doctors deserve full pay restoration, with a spokesperson confirming that "campaigning for full pay restoration for all doctors" remains established union policy supported by its 200,000 members.
As the December deadline approaches, patients face the prospect of further disruption to healthcare services, with Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Helen Morgan describing the situation as "hugely worrying for patients who are suffering historic waiting lists and deteriorating care."
