No 10: ‘Cannot be right’ for consultants to do private work on NHS strike days

Striking hospital consultants should not see private patients on days they are taking industrial action, Downing Street said.

Senior doctors in the British Medical Association overwhelmingly backed strike action in England unless the Government makes a “credible offer” on pay.

Strikes are set to take place on July 20 and 21 – just days after junior doctors in England are due to strike for five days over pay.

The BMA said take-home pay for consultants in England has fallen by 35% since 2008/2009, although the Government said it still averaged £128,000.

Some experienced specialists top up their NHS pay with private consultations and treatments, but No 10 said that should not happen on days when they are on strike in the health service.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “If consultants choose to take strike action, it cannot be right that some continue to only treat their fee-paying private patients and benefit financially from that while patient care is put at risk in the NHS.

“We would urge those consultants considering this approach to seriously consider the impact on the NHS.

“It would not be right to put profit before patients.”

A BMA spokesman said: “The BMA is clear that NHS consultants planning to strike should not schedule any other work, including in private practice, when they are taking part in industrial action.

“This would be especially important should the strikes be called off due to the Government coming forward with a credible offer – something we are imploring ministers to do to avert action.”

The consultants’ industrial action will take the form of Christmas Day cover, meaning that most routine and elective services will be cancelled but full emergency cover will remain in place.

The BMA said it announced its planned dates for industrial action six weeks before the potential action so that consultants and their colleagues were able to put in early plans to manage patient lists and prioritise urgent patient care in the event of a successful ballot.

Meanwhile, the BMA’s chair of council warned that all GPs and specialist doctors could join junior doctors and consultants in disputes with the Government.

Professor Philip Banfield told the Guardian: “What you could have is a situation where junior doctors, consultants, specialist and speciality doctors and GPs are all in dispute with the Government in the run-up to a general election.

“That is what we are planning for.”

Downing Street said co-ordinated action across different branches of the medical profession would “absolutely” increase the risk to patients.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We need to be clear that the strike action already planned will put patient safety at risk and is hindering our ability to provide the right level of care for patients.”