Doctors want £262 an hour for strike cover

SENIOR doctors are demanding up to £262 an hour to provide emergency cover for junior colleagues during their three-day walkout this month.

The British Medical Association (BMA) is suggesting consultants ask for £15 an hour, rising to £262 for night shifts. This is three times their basic pay.

Junior doctors are scheduled to strike from March 13 to 16 in a row over pay and conditions.

NHS Employers chief executive Danny Mortimer said health bosses’ sympathy for the plight of doctors was being ‘eroded’ by the consultants’ demands. He added: ‘If their dispute is with the Government with regards to both pay and pensions, it seems unreasonable to act without first seeking any kind of agreement with employers.’

BMA consultants committee chairman Dr Vishal Sharma said: ‘These rates reflect the market value of doctors’ work.’

About 40 per cent of the medical workforce is classed as a junior doctor.