BMA invites ministers to fresh talks in bid to end consultants’ strike

The BMA has issued a formal invite to ministers to attend talks facilitated by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) to try to end the pay dispute with consultants in England.Consultants’ leaders from the BMA have said throughout their dispute over pay that their door remains open to the government for negotiations. But the BMA said that the health and social care secretary, Steve Barclay, has refused to meet them, citing the government’s position that no talks can go ahead while strike dates are scheduled.With no future strike dates presently announced for consultants, the chair of the BMA Consultants Committee, Vishal Sharma, wrote to the prime minister on 2 October offering to enter negotiations, with ACAS acting as a facilitator if necessary. ACAS has indicated that it was prepared to facilitate talks if both sides were willing, and the BMA has written to the service to formally request its…
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