Senior doctors in England put strike on hold after union secures negotiations

Senior hospital doctors ​in England will pause ‌a ​strike planned for later this month to allow negotiations with the ‌government to take place, the British Medical Association said on Wednesday.

The doctors, who are seeking to improve pay and ‌working conditions, had been due to strike on November ‌25 and 26over the government's proposed below-inflation pay rise. "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," the co-chairs of the BMA's consultants ​committee Helen Neary and Shanu Datta said in a ⁠statement.

The government had said in its evidence to the Review ⁠Body on ​Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration in October that its plan for a 2.4% pay rise for 2027/2028 ⁠would not require trade-offs against its health commitments. The BMA says ⁠consultants ⁠have seen their pay cut by 25% in real terms over the last 17 ‌years.