Senior doctors across England balloted on taking strike action

Senior doctors in the NHS in England are being balloted on whether they wish to take strike action.

The British Medical Association (BMA) announced previously that it would ask consultants and specialist, associate specialist and specialty (SAS) doctors if they were willing to take industrial action.

The ballots of both groups are running from Monday for eight weeks and will close on July 6.

It follows ministers announcing a 3.5% pay award for these groups.

The BMA said on Monday its consultants’ committee believes that consultants need to have more protected time to focus on innovation, teaching more junior colleagues and improving patient services.

It wants to see a reduction in hours and “better recognition for the most demanding out-of-hours work to reduce burnout and improve retention”, the BMA said.

Meanwhile, the BMA’s SAS committee argues there needs to be improvements to career progression for this group.

It also wants reform of how SAS doctors are recognised and compensated for their time, “particularly for extensive anti-social working hours” and more annual leave so doctors do not lose out compared to other medics.

The BMA said both groups have seen their pay fall by around a quarter in real terms since 2008/09.

BMA consultants’ committee co-chairs Dr Shanu Datta and Dr Helen Neary said: “When you or your loved ones go to hospital, a consultant is the most senior and skilled doctor in the department, in overall charge of your care.

“They are also responsible for improving services and designing new ones, as well as training the doctors of the future.

“Yet the failure to value this expertise, and support and protect consultants from the demands of the job, means we risk losing them when patients need them most.

“Left unaddressed, the impact of this is early retirement, quiet quitting, and consultants leaving the profession in the UK, resulting in doctor shortages and even worse wait times for care.

“BMA consultants and SAS doctors in England are standing together and demanding better.”

The pair said industrial action “is a last resort” but medics feel they have been left with “no choice”.

The ballot comes after resident doctors in England walked out for six days in April over jobs and pay.

Tens of thousands of resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, took strike action during the Easter holiday, when the NHS said many other staff had booked time off with their families.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting had offered a 4.9% increase in average basic pay from 2026 to 2027.

According to Mr Streeting, this would have left resident doctors 35.2% better off than four years ago.

The proposal also included an offer of 1,000 extra training places, although that was taken off the table due to increasing strike costs to the NHS.

Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, accused the Government at the time of “quietly” watering down the deal on offer to resident doctors.

The strike was the 15th walkout by resident doctors in England since 2023.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Consultants and specialist, associate specialist and specialty (SAS) doctors are highly skilled and much valued NHS staff, who have repeatedly stepped in over recent months to maintain high quality patient care during resident doctors strikes.

“As some of the best paid workers in the country, consultants and SAS doctors have seen their starting basic pay go up by around 28.5% over the last four years.

“We want to continue to work with senior doctors to improve their working lives.

“We urge consultant and SAS doctors to see the BMA’s unreasonable and unnecessary bid for industrial action as the distraction it is from our shared endeavour of rebuilding our NHS and making it fit for the future.”

Published: 11/05/2026 by Radio NewsHub