Consultants in England to strike in November

Jacob King/ PA

By Erin Dean

Consultants in England plan to go on strike for two days next month, the British Medical Association has announced.

Senior NHS doctors will walk out in the dispute with the government over pay and working conditions.

Consultants will provide emergency cover during the action which is planned to run for 48 hours from 6:59am on 25 November.

Talks with the government have failed to make progress on the dispute which began in May 2025 and there have been no formal negotiations, the BMA said.

The government has been “ignoring concerns” around the “wellbeing and workload” of medics, the union added.

The planned walkout comes after members voted in favour of a mandate for industrial action in July.

The strike can be avoided if health secretary Yvette Cooper commits to formal negotiations on pay and working conditions, the BMA said.

'Irresponsible action'

However Cooper said the action, the first by consultants since 2023, was “irresponsible” as the NHS prepares for winter.