NHS Consultants Ballot for Strikes as Resident Doctors Settle

The day resident doctors voted to end their three-year dispute, a separate strike ballot opened by the BMA for NHS consultants and specialist, associate specialist, and specialty (SAS) doctors in England remained live. That ballot, which runs until 6 July 2026, covers a different group of senior hospital doctors who are pursuing their own pay dispute with the government. The BMA consultants committee opened the statutory ballot on 31 March 2026, citing an "inadequate" 3.5% pay award from the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body - the same body whose recommendation resident doctors accepted as part of their broader settlement package. NHS Employers confirmed the ballot is running from 11 May to 6 July 2026.

Why Consultants and SAS Doctors Are Balloting

Consultants in England say their pay is around 26% lower in real terms than it was in 2008/09, according to the BMA. SAS doctors - a group that includes thousands of non-training-grade hospital doctors - have seen a 23.4% real-terms pay fall over the same period. Beyond pay, the BMA consultants committee is seeking more protected time for teaching and innovation, a reduction in standard contracted hours, and better recognition for out-of-hours commitments. Unlike resident doctors, consultants and SAS doctors have not yet taken strike action in the current dispute - the ballot result on or after 6 July will determine whether that changes.

What This Means for Patients

If consultants vote to strike, the impact on elective waiting lists would be significant. Consultants lead the majority of planned surgical procedures and outpatient clinics. A consultant strike would directly affect the types of care where NHS Right to Choose is most useful - orthopaedics, ophthalmology, cardiology, gynaecology, and general surgery. Patients currently on a waiting list can act now rather than waiting to see the outcome: under NHS Right to Choose, your GP can re-refer you to any NHS trust in England, and switching to a trust with a shorter list locks in your position before any further disruption.

How to Find a Shorter Wait

Search hospitals by specialty and postcode to see which trusts near you are treating patients soonest - and secure a shorter wait before the 6 July ballot result is known.