- Gareth Iacobucci,
- Abi Rimmer
- The BMJ
The BMA has urged ministers to put forward an improved pay offer for consultants in England after its members rejected the government’s offer by a slim margin.
Just over half (51.1%) of BMA consultant members in England voted against the offer in a referendum held from 14 December to 23 January. Some 23 544 consultants voted in total, a turnout of 64.8%. Of these, 11 507 voted for the offer, and 12 037 voted against.
The BMA’s Consultants Committee has rejected the pay offer and urged the government to return to the table. Consultants in England belonging to the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association had already rejected the offer.1
Why did consultants reject the pay offer?
Vishal Sharma, chair of the BMA Consultants Committee, said the BMA vote showed that consultants didn’t believe that the pay deal offered a long term solution to the recruitment and retention crisis among senior doctors. “It backs up conversations we’ve had with colleagues in recent weeks, who felt the changes were insufficient and did …