NHS consultant strikes: BMA announces two more walkouts planned for August 

Two more strikes have been announced by the British Medical Association (BMA) over a long-running pay dispute. 

NHS consultants in England were already striking on Thursday and Friday – and now they will also be walking out on 24 and 25 August. 

The new dates were in response to a “derisory” 6% pay rise, said the BMA, a trade union for doctors. 

The government said the rise, announced last week, was fair and called the new strike dates disappointing. 

During the strikes, consultants will provide cover similar to Christmas Day – with emergency care and a small amount of routine work. 

Last week, a 6% pay rise was offered for NHS medics just as doctors began their own five-day strike, which is due to end on Tuesday. 

The BMA said the pay award amounted to “another real-terms pay cut”.

For consultants, the below-inflation pay rise was “nothing short of insulting”, the BMA said, and would actually boost pay by less than 6% once “all elements of pay were considered”.