Here’s one that’ll worry anyone with a hospital appointment in November.

England’s most senior hospital doctors are set to down tools for two days, 25th and 26th November, in a row over pay and working conditions that just won’t go away.

According to cbinews.tv, the British Medical Association (BMA) says it’s had enough of ministers “ignoring concerns” around consultants’ wellbeing and workload. They claim the government hasn’t made any meaningful commitment to fixing the value and sustainability of consultant roles.

And they’re clear: the strike could still be called off if Health Secretary Yvette Cooper agrees to formal talks on pay and conditions.

It’s not a full walkout. Hospitals will keep emergency cover running, similar to a Christmas Day service. But routine clinics, elective surgeries and waiting list appointments? Expect major disruption.

This isn’t new. Consultants last walked out in 2023, and the dispute has been rumbling for over 18 months. In July, BMA members voted for a fresh mandate for industrial action.

BMA consultants committee co-chairs Dr Helen Neary and Dr Shanu Datta put it bluntly:

“As the most senior and skilled doctors in the NHS, consultants not only provide frontline, life-saving care, but they are central to running and designing services, training and supervising the future workforce.”

Their argument: you can’t fix the NHS without keeping them.

This is about more than a pay slip.

The BMA says consultant pay in real terms has fallen by around 30% since 2008/09 when you factor in inflation. Add in burnout, 10-12 hour days, and huge out-of-hours demands, and many are cutting hours or leaving. The BMA claims a consultant in Ireland can earn almost double what their English counterpart makes.

Their fix? More protected time to teach junior doctors, working hours brought in line with other NHS staff, and proper recognition for nights and weekends.

For patients, the timing stings. The government’s much-lauded progress on cutting waiting lists, still at 7.4 million in England, is stalling. A November strike, right as the NHS prepares for winter, will pile on pressure.

The government has just recommended a 2.4% pay rise for doctors for 2027/28 to the pay review body, which the BMA says is another real-terms pay cut.

Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was “very disappointed”, calling the move “irresponsible action” when the NHS is preparing for winter.

Who are consultants? They’re fully qualified specialists at the top of their field, surgeons, cardiologists, paediatricians, who lead teams and train the next generation.

Why now? The BMA says 18 months of “good faith” talks have led to ministers kicking the can down the road.

What happens next?

The Department of Health and BMA have a window to enter formal negotiations before 25th November.

NHS England will start rescheduling routine care for those two days.

If no deal, more dates could follow, just like the wave of junior doctor and consultant strikes in 2023-24.

We’ll be watching whether Cooper blinks. As reported by cbinews.tv, the road, according to the BMA, has now run out.

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