THOUSANDS of NHS consultant doctors began a 48-hour strike action in England today following a “derisory” pay offer from the government.

More than 24,000 members of the British Medical Association (BMA), will be out or on the picket lines until 7am on Saturday after voting 86 per cent in favour of industrial action last month.

A rally was held at the BMA headquarters in central London this afternoon, attended by its consultants’ committee chairman Dr Vishal Sharma.

Dr Sharma said Health Secretary Steve Barclay had met doctors just once in seven months and had refused further talks on pay.

The government has told consultants they will receive a 6 per cent pay rise, but the BMA said doctors have seen real-term take-home pay fall by more than a third over the last 14 years.

Analysis shows consultant pay has fallen way behind the likes of lawyers, architects and financial advisers, the BMA said.

Dr Sharma said consultants, who are taking their first strike since the 1970s, are “angry and at rock bottom,” adding: “We never wanted to be forced into taking this huge step.

“The government has had seven months to work with us to take our concerns seriously, to listen to us and to find a way to avoid industrial action.

“Ministers have done absolutely nothing to stop this action taking place.

“We will be on the picket lines … knowing our pay has flatlined so disastrously, knowing we are undervalued and overworked but also knowing that we remain willing to talk to Steve Barclay as he has the power to halt the strike action by presenting us with a credible offer that we put to our members.”

NHS trusts have put in “Christmas Day cover” at hospitals following talks with the BMA on how to address any serious harm that can be caused by delaying or deferring procedures, meaning that consultants will be on call throughout the action.

A letter sent to hospital chiefs by the BMA and NHS England said that consultant strikes are “different to previous rounds of industrial action” because “no other worker can provide cover for consultants, and other staff groups are dependent upon supervision from consultants to be able to work.”

Junior doctors also staged a five-day walkout this week — the longest in the history of the NHS.

Mr Barclay said he is disappointed with the consultants’ action, and that the pay award is final.