Specialist doctors in England to hold pay talks with government

Specialist doctors in England will hold talks with the government after indicating they may strike over pay and working conditions, a union has said.

The BMA said its members working as specialist, associate specialist and specialty doctors overwhelmingly voted in favour of industrial action in an indicative ballot.

A formal strike ballot will be held if no progress is made by 6 November.

The government said pay would "not be on the table" at any talks.

Junior doctors and consultants have been co-ordinating strikes this autumn, as part of a long-running pay dispute.

The walkouts have meant more than one million appointments and treatments, including some cancer care, have been postponed because of industrial action since December last year.

Most specialist doctors work in hospitals, alongside junior doctors and consultants, but some also work in the community.

Dr Ujjwala Mohite, chair of the specialist doctor committee UK at the British Medical Association (BMA), said the government "cannot ignore the strength of feeling on the ground" among medics.

He said four months of "stagnant talks" meant doctors were prepared to strike, despite hoping industrial action can be avoided.

"[Specialist] doctors are overworked and exhausted, and have had enough of not being properly valued for the vital work they do - something we have been hearing at a grassroots level for a long time and which was strongly echoed in the overwhelming indicative ballot results."

A Department of Health spokesperson said the government was pleased the BMA decided to delay moving to a formal ballot to allow time for talks.

"We have been clear headline pay will not be on the table. Doctors have already received a fair and reasonable pay rise as recommended by the independent pay review body, which we've accepted in full," the statement added.