Consultant doctors in England have paused a two-day strike planned for Nov. 25 and 26 after meetings with the government, the British Medical Association said, so the union can enter formal talks on pay and working conditions^1,2.

BBC reported the walkout was due to begin at 06:59 GMT on Nov. 25, with consultants providing emergency care only, a Christmas Day-style roster it said was likely to have a major impact on most routine and planned hospital work¹. Sky News UK reported the same pause and said the dispute concerned the value and sustainability of the consultant role².

The BMA consultants committee said it was seeking meaningful progress on a 25% real-terms pay cut it says consultants have experienced over the last 17 years, according to Sky News UK². BBC said the union is pausing action to discuss pay and working conditions with the government¹.

BMA consultants committee co-chairs Dr Helen Neary and Dr Shanu Datta said in a joint statement they welcomed formal talks². "We've always said strikes do not need to go ahead as long as the government is willing to genuinely negotiate," they said, according to Sky News UK². They said they had been assured there were no constraints on what could be discussed, including pay and working conditions².

A government response was not in the Sky report, which said more details would follow². Whether talks produce an agreement, and whether later strike dates return, is not yet known^1,2.

Not medical advice.