Senior doctors plan 48-hour strike for September in England

Consultants who are portion of the British Medical Association (BMA) successful England volition onslaught connected 19 and 20 September.

The 48-hour walkout volition impact regular services, but exigency attraction volition beryllium covered aft the BMA promised to supply a Christmas Day level of cover.

The dates person been announced up of their adjacent onslaught astatine the extremity of August.

The authorities has said determination volition beryllium nary much wage talks, aft agreeing to the 6% wage summation the autarkic wage reappraisal assemblage recommended.

The national has asked for much to marque up for what it says is repeated wage cuts.

Pay has fallen by 27% since 2008 erstwhile ostentation is taken into account, but the BMA said erstwhile changes to taxation and pension contributions are factored in, the chopped to take-home wage is 35%.

Unlike the inferior doctors, who are taking onslaught enactment adjacent week, consultants person not enactment an nonstop fig connected what they want.

Instead, they person said they privation to spot the authorities to commencement astatine slightest giving wage rises that lucifer inflation.

BMA consultants committee president Dr Vishal Sharma urged the authorities to instrumentality to the negotiating table.

He said doctors were prepared to beryllium successful the combat for the "long haul".