Senior doctors in England call off planned two-day strike to hold talks

Senior doctors in England, represented by the British Medical Association (BMA), have called off a two-day strike that was scheduled to begin on November 25, according to BBC Health.

The strike would have involved consultants staffing emergency care only, impacting most routine and elective services. The BMA made the decision to pause the action in order to hold formal talks with the government about pay and working conditions.

Consultants received a 3.5% pay increase this year, but the BMA argues that pay has effectively fallen by a quarter over the past 17 years when adjusted for inflation, using a higher inflation measure than economists typically prefer.

The union's demands include reducing the standard working week from 40 to 35 hours, increasing pay for out-of-hours work, and making pension arrangements more flexible. Meetings have been ongoing for months, but formal negotiations with the government's team may begin as soon as this week.

BMA consultants committee co-chairs welcomed the opportunity for talks and expressed hope that this marks a turning point in the long-running dispute.