Senior doctors in England narrowly rejected a salary offer that would have halted months of disruptive strike action, according to their trade union, the British Medical Association (BMA), in a setback for the government.
Doctors’ strikes have increased pressure on an already overburdened National Health Service (NHS), where more than 7 million patients on waiting lists seek treatment, resulting in thousands of cancelled consultations and treatments.
A prolonged pay dispute with healthcare staff will hinder Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s ability to meet one of his key pledges, of cutting those waiting lists, ahead of an election expected later this year.
The doctors voted 51.1% against the pay offer, the BMA said.
The rejected agreement sought to reform the pay structure for senior doctors, known as consultants, by reducing the number of pay brackets and the time it takes to reach the top, and making a clearer link between pay progression and experience .
Britain’s Health Minister Victoria Atkins said the government was disappointed at the doctors’ rejection of what she called a “fair and reasonable” offer.
A separate long-running dispute with junior doctors over pay also remains ongoing.
Across Britain, hundreds of thousands of workers, including nurses, teachers and railway workers, have taken strike action in the last two years, disrupting key public services, as a cost-of-living crisis spurs demands by employees for better pay.
The BMA said it would engage further with consultants and seek talks with the government in the coming days.
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