Junior doctors and consultants to strike together

Junior doctors and consultants in England are to coincide strikes during the autumn in an escalation of the pay dispute with the government.

It will be the first time they have walked out at the same time and comes after junior doctors voted in favour of continuing with industrial action.

In the British Medical Association ballot 98% voted in favour, giving the union a fresh six-month mandate.

Junior doctors have already staged five walkouts this year.

They will strike on 20 to 22 September - the first day of which coincides with a walkout by consultants.

They will then walkout on 2 to 4 October, which is when consultants will also be striking.

The BMA say a 35% pay rise is needed for junior doctors to make up for what it says are 15 years of below-inflation wage rises.

The government has given junior doctors 6% plus £1,250, which works out at an average of nearly 9%.

Ministers have said there will be no more talks as that was the final settlement, pointing out they had agreed to pay what the independent pay review body had recommended.

So far, more than 940,000 appointments and treatments have had to be postponed because of strike action by NHS staff since December.

Alongside junior doctors, consultants, nurses, ambulance workers, physios and radiographers have all taken part in strikes.

Most of the other health unions have ended their strike action.

NHS England and ministers have both said strikes by doctors are a factor in the rising number of people waiting for treatment.

Consultants have taken part in two walkouts so far with more planned for September and October.