NHS Strike Negotiation: Who is involved, why strikes are happening and how they have affected the NHS

Talks are to take place this week between three groups of medical staff that are members of the British Medical Association and the Ministry of Health, the Government has confirmed.

Here is what we know so far.

Which doctors are involved in negotiations?

Three groups of doctors have not accepted a pay offer from the government and will presume to do so if they are not provided with a revised offer, according to the British Medical Association (BMA).

These are consultants, junior doctors and SAS doctors or ‘speciality grade doctors’.

The SAS category of doctors was introduced by the NHS in 2010, consisting of doctors who are experienced in a specialised field of medicine like psychiatry, according to NHS employers.

Why are these Doctors Striking?

 According to the BMA, these doctors have experienced a real terms pay cut, with junior doctors and SAS doctors calling for ‘pay restoration’.

‘Pay restoration’ is the BMA’s campaign to counter these real term pay cuts.

For junior doctors, the BMA is asking for a 35 per cent pay rise.

Consultants are striking for an above-inflation pay rise. Inflation in October 2023 stands at 4.2 per cent according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The Government’s offer towards NHS workers included an 8.8 per cent pay rise for junior doctors and a 6 per cent pay rise for consultants, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

Last year inflation reached a 41-year peak of 11.2 per cent in October 2022, according to the House of Commons Library.

Where are doctors striking?

Campaigns for industrial action by the BMA are nationwide.

What will these talks mean?

The talks mean the BMA halted industrial action for at least four weeks.

The BMA has said that the Government has until 3 November to provide them with a ‘credible’ offer, or new strike dates will be announced.

“Headline pay will not be on the table,” The Department of Health and Social Care said.

How have the strikes affected the NHS?

The Nuffield Trust, an independent health think tank, said that a total of 42 strike days took place between December 2022 and September 2023.

According to them, over 100,000 operations and over 780,000 outpatient appointments were rescheduled.

What is the Government doing?

The Department of Health and Social Care says that the government has accepted the recommendations of independent pay review bodies to give doctors and dentists a pay rise. The recommended pay raise from this independent body was 4.5 per cent between 2023 and 2024.

They also say that they have given doctors pension reforms.

Despite Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying that this offer was “final” and that no more talks would be held, the Department of Health and Social Care has agreed to meet with the BMA to resolve the dispute.