Junior doctors and consultants will strike together for first time over pay erosion

Junior doctors and consultants in England will jointly undertake four days of strike action in September and October after junior doctors voted overwhelmingly in favour of continuing their industrial action in their campaign for full pay restoration.

The BMA reballoted junior doctors in July and August to extend its mandate for strike action until February next year. Of the 61 862 junior doctors entitled to vote in the ballot, 44 079 (71%) took part. Of those, 43 440 (98%) voted in favour of strike action, 718 (1.6%) voted against, and 21 voting papers were spoiled or invalid.

The result shows a continuing commitment to strike action, with the same proportion of junior doctors voting in favour as in the ballot earlier this year, which had a turnout of over 77%, with 98% of junior doctors (36 218) voting in favour of strike action and 2% (716) voting against. …