Senior hospital doctors across England have scheduled a two-day walkout for November 25 and 26 following a government-recommended pay rise that medical representatives describe as a real-terms pay cut. The industrial action was announced following a government proposal for a 2.4% increase to the body responsible for setting doctors’ pay for the 2027/2028 financial year.
The British Medical Association stated that the proposed increase amounts to a significant real-terms pay reduction by all current measures of inflation. The association added that senior doctors have experienced a 25% reduction in their pay in real terms over the past 17 years.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the headline rate of Consumer Prices Index inflation in September stood at 3.5%. The upcoming November walkout represents the latest development in ongoing disputes regarding compensation and working conditions across Britain’s National Health Service, which have resulted in more than a dozen rounds of industrial action since 2023.
Despite the planned stoppage, the union indicated that the strike could still be averted if the health minister commits to adequately funded formal negotiations addressing both pay and working conditions.
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper characterized the union’s decision as very disappointing, noting that it followed constructive discussions between her department, the National Health Service, and the medical association. Emphasizing the challenges ahead, Cooper stated that she remains determined to support staff and patients alongside colleagues across the health service through the demanding winter period. She expressed hope that the medical association would remain united in that effort and avoid taking action that would place additional pressure on the health service during a crucial time.
In its evidence submitted to the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration and published on October 19, the government maintained that its proposed 2.4% rise did not require trade-offs against primary government health commitments.
