PLANNED industrial action by BMA Cymru over the pay dispute for consultants, SAS doctors and junior doctors has been postponed. 

BMA Cymru Wales has suspended forthcoming industrial action for consultants and SAS doctors following a constructive meeting with the Welsh Government to resolve its pay disputes. 

The decision has come about as a result of sustained pressure, with three rounds of industrial action by junior doctors in Wales, leading the Welsh Government to make a significant proposal to form the basis of talks to end the pay disputes with all secondary care doctors including Consultants, SAS and Junior doctors.

Since the meeting last week, the committees representing doctors from all three branches of practice have voted to enter pay negotiations based on this proposal.

Dr Oba Babs Osibodu and Dr Peter Fahey co-chairs of the BMA’s Welsh Junior doctors Committee said:

“This is a significant step forward. It is sad that we had to take industrial action to get here, but we are proud of members for demonstrating their resolve in pursuit of a fair deal for the profession.

“Whilst we are optimistic and hope to quickly resolve our dispute, we remain steadfast in achieving pay restoration. Until we reach a deal, nothing is off the table.

 “We will continue to work hard to reach an offer that is credible to put to members who will ultimately have the final say.”

Dr Stephen Kelly, chair of BMA Cymru Wales’ Consultants committee said: “The Welsh Government’s recent efforts to reach an end to the pay dispute are encouraging and so we have called off our planned strike for now whilst we allow time and space for negotiations to take place.

“We’re hopeful that we can reach a deal that sufficiently addresses years of erosion to our pay to help retain senior doctors in Wales but remain ready to strike if we’re not able to do so during negotiations.”

Dr Ali Nazir, chair of BMA Cymru Wales’ SAS doctor committee said: “As a committee, we felt that this latest development goes someway to understanding the strength of feeling of our members. We will work hard to reach a settlement that sufficiently meets the expectation of our colleagues who have faced real terms pay cuts of up to a third since 2008/9.”

First Minister Vaughan Gething said: “We recognise the strength of feeling among BMA members and that industrial action is never taken lightly.

“This is a government that listens and engages to find solutions. I prioritised a meeting with the BMA directly alongside the Cabinet Secretary for Health to reinforce our commitment to that partnership approach."

Shadow Health Minister Russell George MS called the negotiations "an insult" to patients and professionals, while Plaid Cymru's Health and Social Care spokesman Mabon ap Gwynfor MS as warned that the Government “cannot afford” not to improve the pay offer, and has urged them to commit to an improvement. 

Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation Darren Hughes called the news "a promising step in the right direction" and said that bosses would be "cautiously optimistic" but warned that it did not remove the risk of future strikes. 

In August last year, the BMA’s committees representing secondary care doctors in Wales voted to enter into separate trade disputes with the Welsh Government after being offered another below inflation pay uplift of just 5% for the 23/24 financial year.

This was the lowest pay offer any government in the UK offered and less than the DDRB, the pay review body for doctors and dentists, recommended last year.

This led to 10 days of industrial action since January this year.