NHS Braces for Escalating Doctor Strikes as Consultants Prepare to Join Walkouts
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A looming double strike by resident and consultant doctors threatens to plunge the National Health Service into further chaos, jeopardizing the government’s efforts to reduce treatment delays and restore public trust.
The UK’s healthcare system is facing a critical juncture as hospital consultants are poised to join resident doctors in industrial action over pay. Resident doctors are set to begin their latest strike tomorrow, adopting a more aggressive strategy of monthly walkouts to pressure the government to meet their 26% pay claim. This escalation comes after 11 strikes in 15 months between March 2023 and June 2024, followed by a single strike in July of this year, and signals a deepening crisis in doctor-government relations.
Consultants Threaten Further Disruption
Adding to the pressure, consultants – senior doctors – are now likely to strike, potentially compounding the difficulties faced by ministers. The British Medical Association’s (BMA) consultants committee has been engaged in talks with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) since September, seeking a pay increase exceeding the 4% rise imposed for 2025/26. They argue for a 5.5% increase this year, citing the vital importance of their work.
However, progress in negotiations has stalled, leading to frustration within the BMA. Sources within the committee indicate they have issued a deadline of December 31st to Health Secretary Wes Streeting to reach a favorable agreement. Failure to do so will trigger a ballot for industrial action in January, with potential strikes commencing shortly thereafter if the required 50% turnout and 50% agreement are achieved.
Monthly Strikes and a Prolonged Campaign
The resident doctors are adopting a particularly hardline stance, with almost all members of the BMA’s Resident Doctors Committee (RDC) backing a plan to strike monthly throughout 2026, should their current mandate be renewed on January 6th. This could involve walkouts lasting longer than the previous six-day strike in January 2024. The BMA’s ruling council has already approved a request from Dr. Jack Fletcher, the RDC’s chair, to reballot its 60,000 resident members.
“The consultants committee has given its negotiators until 31 December to negotiate with Wes Streeting and his team for meaningful changes to consultant pay. I don’t think that’s going to be meaningful. So we’ll be balloting in the new year. We’ll be gearing up, potentially towards industrial action in the new year,” a BMA insider stated.
Impact on the NHS and Government Targets
Strikes involving both groups of doctors in the first half of 2026 would be devastating, potentially derailing the government’s commitment to “fix the NHS” and reduce treatment delays. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, warned that consultant walkouts would be “a bitter pill” for already strained healthcare staff, particularly during the winter months.
The cumulative effect of strikes since 2022, involving doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, has already forced the NHS in England to reschedule at least 1.7 million outpatient appointments and operations. Further disruption would jeopardize progress in cutting waiting lists, which fell slightly in September to 7.39 million patients, and divert funds from already stretched budgets.
Political Fallout and Pay Disparities
The potential for a double strike represents a significant setback for Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who has publicly criticized the BMA’s tactics, accusing the union of acting like a “cartel” and threatening the future of the NHS. His promise to ensure patients receive planned hospital treatment within 18 weeks by 2029 is also at risk.
Streeting has emphasized that resident doctors have already seen a 28.9% pay increase since 2022. Current average salaries stand at £127,540 for consultants and range from £38,831 to £73,992 for resident doctors before overtime. However, the BMA maintains that all doctors deserve pay restoration to reflect the erosion of real terms value since 2008/09, attributed to inflation and limited annual settlements. Consultants claim their pay has been devalued by 26% over this period.
The DHSC maintains that the majority of consultants are not prepared to strike, citing an indicative ballot. A spokesperson stated that new full-time consultants have seen a 24% pay increase over the past three years, with an average salary of £145,000 annually, and that the NHS is “finally on the road to recovery.”
The BMA reiterated its commitment to full pay restoration for all doctors, emphasizing that its policies are determined by its 200,000 members. As negotiations reach a critical point, the future of the NHS and the well-being of its patients hang in the balance.
