NHS Consultants in England Vote Heavily in Favor of Industrial Action Over Pay Dispute

This comes just days after junior doctor members of the BMA will stage five days of industrial action, making it the longest in the history of the health service.

The BMA announced that take-home pay for consultants in England has fallen by 35% since 2008/2009.

The result of the vote demonstrates the "strength of feeling" among consultants.

The industrial action will take the form of Christmas Day cover, meaning that most routine and elective services will be cancelled, but full emergency cover will remain in place.

Dr Vishal Sharma, BMA consultants committee chair, stated that the BMA is simply asking for fairness to ensure that there is a pay settlement that begins to reverse the real-terms pay decline that consultants have suffered.

However, if the government refuses, it is with a heavy heart that the BMA will take action next month.

Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, expressed that a double whammy of consultants' action and a full walkout by junior doctors will mean disruption for many thousands of patients and yet more pressure on overstretched services, which is a huge risk for the NHS to manage.