he most senior docs within the nation are as a consequence of stroll out in a bitter dispute with the Government over pay.

Here are your questions on the strike answered.

– Why are consultants putting?

Consultants in England who're members of the British Medical Association (BMA) have voted to go on strike for 48 hours on account of the row over pay.

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They are calling for a “credible pay offer”, citing years of below-inflation rises.

The BMA has mentioned take-home pay for consultants has fallen by 35% since 2008.

– What have they been given?

Last week the Government introduced pay will increase for tens of millions of public sector staff together with docs.

Junior docs will obtain a 6% rise together with an extra consolidated £1,250 improve, officers mentioned, whereas hospital consultants will obtain a 6% improve.

The BMA says that is “derisory” and argues that consultants have seen real-terms take-home pay fall by greater than a 3rd during the last 14 years.

– How a lot does a advisor truly earn?

Consultants on a 2003 contract earn a beginning wage of £88,364 in fundamental pay, rising to £119,133 after round 19 years, in keeping with the BMA.

The Department of Health and Social Care mentioned that on common, consultants have further earnings value round 31% of fundamental pay, overlaying “additional programmed activities”, scientific excellence awards and on-call funds, which take complete common NHS earnings for 2022/23 to round £127,000.

The division mentioned that for 2023/24 it will rise to a mean of round £134,000.

– When will the strike happen?

Consultants in England will stroll out at 7am on July 20 and keep on strike till 7am on July 22.

They will nonetheless present “Christmas Day cover”, which implies most routine and pre-planned providers can be cancelled however full emergency cowl will stay.

Medics are being invited to hitch picket strains throughout the nation or attend a rally in London.

– Will I nonetheless have my hospital appointment?

Patients have been advised to attend appointments as regular except they've been contacted and advised the periods have been postponed.

People have been advised to nonetheless use 999 in life-threatening emergencies and NHS 111 on-line for different well being issues. GP providers and pharmacies will be accessed within the regular manner.

– What is totally different about this strike?

In distinction to strikes by different NHS staff, nobody can cowl consultants as a result of they're the highest docs in a hospital.

As nicely as their very own work, consultants additionally supervise the work of their juniors.

NHS leaders say this implies routine care can be “virtually at a standstill” through the strike.

It follows the longest walkout in NHS historical past after junior docs completed a five-day strike on Tuesday.

– Are any future strikes deliberate?

Yes. Before the primary spherical of strike started the BMA Consultants Committee introduced additional walkouts will happen in August.

These are as a consequence of happen shortly earlier than the August Bank Holiday, on August 24 and 25.

The BMA mentioned its announcement was in response to the Government imposing “another real-terms pay cut” on docs final week.

– What’s occurring to cease the strikes?

At the second, nothing. The Government has mentioned its pay deal for docs was the “final offer” and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak mentioned there could be “no more talks on pay”.

Despite this, BMA leaders have written to the Health Secretary imploring him to fulfill them and focus on how one can avert strikes.

– Will all consultants strike?

Before a stoppage occurs, members of a union are balloted to see whether or not they need to go on strike.

More than 24,000 consultants in England responded to the BMA’s poll – a turnout of 71%.

Some 86% of those mentioned they wished to strike.

Consultants who're members of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA), who will not be additionally members of the BMA, have been suggested they need to attend work on strike days.

The HCSA is planning a consultative poll of NHS England consultants “shortly”.

– Have there been any counter arguments from docs?

One advisor spoke out in opposition to the motion on the BMA’s annual assembly earlier this month.

Dr David Randall, a kidney care specialist, mentioned consultants are rich sufficient to strike “indefinitely” and asking for full pay restoration was based mostly on “faulty logic” which suggests “doctors’ incomes should be unaffected by anything that has happened to the nation since 2008, that others should feel the pain of recession, Brexit, pandemic and war, but not us”.

He advised the assembly in Liverpool that consultants ought to push for a pay rise however one which “allows us to look our colleagues and our patients in the eye”.