Hospital consultants will strike for two days next month, after senior doctors backed walkouts in their battle for increased pay.
Their action - planned for July 20 and 21 - will come after junior doctors take part in the longest strike in NHS history next month, with a five day walkout from Thursday July 13 to Tuesday July 18.
The British Medical Association (BMA) said the ballot of consultants found 86 per cent were in favour of industrial action, with 71 per cent of those eligible taking part in votes.
The union on Tuesday urged the Government to come forward with a “credible pay offer” saying take-home pay for consultants has fallen by 35 per cent since 2008/9.
It said it had been “forced” to ballot consultants after talks between the Government and BMA negotiators broke down.
The walkouts by senior doctors will take the form of “Christmas Day cover” - meaning thousands of appointments and operations will be cancelled, but emergency cover will remain in place.
During the junior doctors’ strikes, they have walked out from A&E departments, with cover provided by consultants.
Dr Vishal Sharma, BMA consultants committee chair, said: “We know consultants don’t take the decision around industrial action lightly, but this vote shows how furious they are at being repeatedly devalued by Government. Consultants are not worth a third less than we were 15 years ago and have had enough.
“Consultants don’t want to have to take industrial action, but have been left with no option in the face of a Government that continues to cut our pay year after year. However, it is not too late to avert strike action and the Government simply needs come back to us with a credible offer that we can put to our members.”
He said consultants were facing industrial action “with a heavy heart,” adding: “We will prioritise patient safety and continue to provide emergency care, in keeping with the level of services available on Christmas Day.”
In total 24,106 consultants voted of 33,915 who were eligible to vote.
Dr Sharma said the failure to “fix consultant pay now and for the future” would see senior medics leave the NHS, choosing early retirement or working abroad.