Government urged to come back to negotiating table after consultants announce further strike dates

The British Medical Association (BMA) is urging to government to re-engage in pay talks after consultants in England announced they will strike again on 19^th and 20^th September.

It has now been 133 days since the health sectary last met with the BMA, and the union says this lack of willingness to meet demonstrates the government’s “complete disregard for the expertise and value of consultants.”

If these strikes go ahead, they will follow on from a walkout which is already planned to take place on the 24^th and 25^th August.

Consultants want to see the pay review body reformed

The BMA has once again written to the health secretary, Steve Barclay, urging him to discuss pay and reform of the doctors’ and dentists’ pay review body, the DDRB, and put an end to strikes.

The union says that the government has interfered with “every step of the pay review process for over a decade”, and they are now calling for a full reform to ensure that the review body is fully independent and fair.

The BMA says this is necessary to ensure that the NHS can recruit and retain its most senior doctors.

Consultants are ‘in it for the long haul’

Despite the union’s anger, they have ensured that the strikes dates were announced six weeks ahead of the time to ensure hospitals and colleagues have sufficient time to prepare and prioritise patients who need care the most.

Once again, the September days will consist of “Christmas Day” cover, whereby all emergency services will remain in place.

Dr Vishal Sharma, BMA consultants committee chair, says the fact that further dates have been announced demonstrates consultants’ resolve and commitment to securing a better deal.

He adds that it is completely within the government’s power to prevent these strikes from going ahead, and he urges the health secretary to return to the negotiating table.

It’s “not too late” to end the strikes

“The Prime Minister has blamed the record waiting lists in the NHS on staff taking a stand for their pay and conditions – a claim that has backfired spectacularly. Waiting lists were rising steadily due to the government’s underfunding of the NHS and were at a record high before any industrial action started and even before the pandemic.

“He says that everyone must play their part to bring the waiting list down but his refusal to negotiate a deal that would ensure the NHS can recruit and retain doctors to address the current workforce crisis is the biggest barrier to achieving this.

“No consultant wants to take strike action but unless we take a stand, we risk losing our most experienced doctors, putting the very future of the NHS at risk. It’s not too late to avert these strikes and we call upon the Health Secretary to meet with us urgently,” Dr Sharma said.