Senior doctors in England plan to go on strike for two days in November, the British Medical Association has said.

The industrial action by consultants is to begin at 6.59am on 25 November, with only emergency cover to be provided.

More than three-quarters of consultants who took part in the BMA ballot voted in favour of strike action. The strike could be avoided if Yvette Cooper, the health secretary, committed to formal negotiations on pay and working conditions, the BMA said. The doctors were given a 3.5% pay increase this year.

Consultants in England last went on strike in 2023 but have been in dispute with the government since last year.…