Senior doctors in England have voted to accept an improved government pay deal, bringing to an end the year-long dispute which had led to strike action and further NHS delays.
The British Medical Association (BMA), a trade union which has been representing senior doctors, also known as consultants, put the offer on pay and conditions to its members, with 83% voting in favour.
The pay deal, which includes changes to a doctors’ pay review body and a 2.85% uplift for those who have been senior
doctors for four to seven years, comes after senior doctors rejected a previous offer in a narrow vote in January.
Strike action over the last two years has heaped more pressure on the NHS, where more than seven million patients remain on waiting lists for hospital treatment, leading to thousands of cancelled appointments and procedures.
It has also piled pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of an expected election later this year as polls suggest the Tory party is trailing heavily behind Labour.
He hailed the news of the deal saying it was “excellent news” for patients after admitting in February that his Tory government had fallen short on one of its key pledges, namely bringing down the number of people waiting to access NHS treatment.
“The end of consultant strike action in the NHS is excellent news for patients. It will mean we can continue making progress towards our goal of cutting the waiting lists, which have now fallen for the fourth month in a row.
“Consultants perform a vital role at the heart of the NHS – I’m pleased they’ve accepted this deal, which is fair for them and fair for the taxpayer.”
While NHS nurses ended strike action last year following a pay deal, a long-running pay dispute with junior doctors, who staged a five-day strike in February, remains ongoing.
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