Doctors' pay in focus with strike ballot

SENIOR doctors in England are taking part in an indicative ballot in an escalation of a row over pay.

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Many doctors were given a 4% pay uplift in May. But the British Medical Association said at the time that the pay rise does not go far enough in restoring historical pay freezes.

The union announced that consultants and specialist, associate specialist, and specialty (SAS) doctors in England will take part in an indicative ballot over the recent pay offer.

The BMA said that after the offer the committees representing these doctors wrote to the Health Secretary Wes Streeting calling for him to meet for negotiations. But the union said it had not received a reply.