NHS consultants announce 48-hour walkout as pay dispute escalates

Hospital consultants in England will strike for two days in November after negotiations over pay, workload and working conditions failed to produce an agreement.

The industrial action will run from 6.59am on 25 November until 6.59am on 27 November. Consultants will provide “Christmas Day” cover, preserving emergency and immediately life-saving services while much routine and elective work is expected to stop.

The British Medical Association said 76% of consultants who participated in its ballot supported strike action. It argues that consultant pay has fallen by approximately 25% in real terms over 17 years and says excessive workloads and burnout are threatening the retention of experienced doctors.

The dispute intensified after the government proposed a 2.4% pay increase for doctors in 2027/28. The BMA described the proposal as a further real-terms reduction and said the strike could still be prevented through properly funded negotiations covering both pay and working conditions.

Hospitals are likely to postpone some planned operations, outpatient appointments and follow-up care. NHS leaders have warned that the walkout will add pressure during the winter period, while the government has urged consultants to continue negotiations instead of taking industrial action. Patients with appointments on the affected dates should attend unless contacted directly by their NHS provider.

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