Senior doctors in Wales to be balloted over industrial action over pay

Just days after junior doctors announced a 72-hour walkout in the new year in a row over pay, senior doctors are now facing a ballot for industrial action.

The BMA told ITV Wales, that consultant and specialist, associate specialist and speciality (SAS) doctor members will be balloted in January on whether they wish to walk out. 

A Welsh Government spokesperson said they "understand the strength of feeling" but are "disappointed" that doctors are balloting for industrial action.

Dr Stephen Kelly, chair of the BMA Cymru Wales consultants committee, said: “Whilst no doctor wants to take industrial action, poor working conditions are driving senior doctors to retire early, reduce their hours or leave NHS Wales.

He added: "All the while patients get sicker, and outcomes get worse."

The decision to ballot members comes after the BMA rejected the Welsh Government’s first and final pay offer for the 2023/24 financial year for those working in secondary care.

For consultants and SAS doctors on closed contracts the offer was 5%; SAS doctors on more recent contracts received as little as 2.5%.

Dr Kelly said: “Significant gaps in the workforce are only making things worse. Investing in staff retention should be the Welsh Government’s number one priority when looking to improve NHS services and so quite simply we have run out of options.”

Welsh SAS committee deputy chair Dr Julie Jones said: “We are demoralised and burnt out.

"Day in day out we want to provide patients with the quality care they deserve, but huge staffing gaps are making this work impossible. We all deserve better than this.

“We want to serve our patients who are our top priority, but poor pay and even worse conditions have forced us to take this step.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "We understand the strength of feeling among doctors about the 5% pay offer and the pressures all public sector workers are under due to the cost-of-living crisis.

"Without additional funding from the UK Government, we are not in a position to currently offer any more.

"We will continue to press them to pass on the funding necessary for full and fair pay rises for public sector workers.

“We remain committed to working in social partnership with the British Medical Association and are available for further talks at any stage.”

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