Why are senior doctors going on strike?
Senior hospital doctors – called consultants – in England have voted to strike for two days next month, the British Medical Association (BMA) has said. The BMA is the main doctors union.
On 20th and 21st July 2023, the hospital consultants will walk out. There was a high turnout for the consultants’ vote on industrial action – 71.08%. Almost 21,000 doctors voted yes – a majority of over 86%.
The BMA said members were asked to vote on “Christmas Day levels of care”. Christmas-like cover means the action will be “safe and effective”.
They also said that since 2008/09 the “real terms take-home pay of consultants in England has been cut by 35%”
However, the BMA admitted, that while emergency care will still be provided, elective or non-emergency work – e.g. planned operations, procedures (e.g. colonoscopies) and outpatient clinics – will be cancelled. This will further lengthen waiting lists.
From 13th to 18th July, the junior doctors have already said they are planning to strike. This means that for seven days in July, regular appointments and pre-planned operations and procedures will be disrupted.
Dr Vishal Sharma, BMA consultants committee chair, said:
Consultants don’t want to have to take industrial action, but have been left with no option in the face of a government that continues to cut our pay year after year.”
Consultants’ average earnings are about £128,000, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said, following a 4.5% rise in the last financial year.
It also said consultants will “benefit from generous changes to pension taxation announced at budget”, describing the proposed strikes as “disappointing” and urging the BMA to “carefully consider the likely impact of any action on patients”.
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