Senior NHS consultants in England represented by the British Medical Association have voted to strike on November 25–26, 2026 over pay and working conditions. The walkout, following a reported 25% real-terms pay drop over 17 years and a proposed 2.4% rise for 2027–28, will reduce care to emergency staffing. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper called the action irresponsible as NHS winter pressures mount and 18-week waiting targets lag at 65.2%.
Strike ballot and vote results
- ▪British Medical Association consultants in England voted to stage a two-day strike from November 25 to November 27, 2026 over pay and working conditions
- ▪The UK government stated that only about one in five NHS consultants in England voted for the November 25-26 strike, as nearly half of consultants are not BMA members
- ▪In the British Medical Association's July 2026 strike ballot, 76 percent of participating NHS consultants voted in favor of industrial action, with turnout exceeding 50 percent of eligible members
BMA position on negotiations
- ▪BMA consultants committee co-chairs Dr. Helen Neary and Dr. Shanu Datta stated negotiations with the UK government broke down because ministers repeatedly delayed addressing pay and workload concerns
- ▪The British Medical Association stated that the November 25-26, 2026 NHS consultant strike could be avoided if the UK government commits to adequately funded formal negotiations
Reactions to the strike announcement
- ▪UK Health Secretary Yvette Cooper called the November 25-26, 2026 strike announcement disappointing and urged doctors not to take irresponsible action during the winter period
- ▪NHS Alliance Chief Executive Sir Ciarán Devane stated health service leaders are dismayed by the November 25-26 strike taking place amid winter preparations and delayed waiting time recovery
Consultant pay and salary changes
- ▪NHS consultants received a 3.5 percent salary increase for 2026, while the Office for National Statistics reported September 2026 CPI inflation at 3.5 percent
- ▪The British Medical Association reported that real-terms NHS consultant pay in England has fallen by 25 percent over the past 17 years
- ▪NHS consultant basic salaries in England range from £113,500 to £150,500, with average total earnings exceeding £150,000 annually
- ▪The UK government proposed a 2.4 percent pay rise for doctors in England for the 2027–28 financial year, which the British Medical Association described as a real-terms pay cut
Demands on hours and working conditions
- ▪The British Medical Association is demanding a reduction in the NHS consultant standard working week from 40 hours to 35 hours
- ▪The British Medical Association is seeking higher pay for out-of-hours work and increased pension flexibility for NHS consultants in England
NHS routine treatment waiting lists
- ▪The NHS waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England increased for a second consecutive month in August 2026
- ▪In August 2026, 65.2 percent of NHS routine hospital treatment patients in England waited less than 18 weeks, below the UK government's 92 percent target for March 2029
Previous NHS strikes and disputes
- ▪NHS consultants in England last staged strike action in 2023 alongside junior colleagues, causing tens of thousands of appointments and procedures to be cancelled
- ▪A long-running pay dispute involving resident doctors in England and the British Medical Association ended earlier in 2026 after recurring industrial action since 2023
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