Consultant doctors in England to strike next month
Consultant doctors in England have announced a two-day strike for late November due to ongoing disputes over pay and working conditions. The British Medical Association claims that pay has significantly declined in real terms over the last 17 years.
Why it matters
Industrial action by senior medical staff threatens to disrupt routine and elective healthcare services across the UK's National Health Service.
Image source, Getty Images By Nick Triggle Health correspondent Published 26 October 2026, 10:11 GMT Updated 11:45 GMT Consultant doctors in England are to stage a two-day strike next month in a dispute over pay and working conditions.
The walkout will begin on 25 November at 06:59 GMT, with consultants staffing emergency care only.
This is known as Christmas Day cover and is likely to have a major impact on most routine and elective or planned services.
The announcement comes after talks had been taking place with the government over the past month, following the vote in favour of strike action by British Medical Association members in July.
Consultants – the most senior doctors in hospitals – were given a 3.5% pay increase this year.
But the BMA argues pay has fallen by a quarter over the past 17 years, once inflation is taken into account.
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