'Our pay has gone down by 35% since 2008'

Senior doctors on strike outside the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham

Thousands of senior hospital doctors in England have begun a 48-hour strike over a long-running pay dispute.

One consultant on the picket line in Birmingham said their pay had fallen by 35% in real terms since 2008, which meant the profession was struggling to recruit or retain staff.

The strike means only emergency care and a small amount of routine work will be provided.

The government said the 6% pay rise, announced last week, was fair and urged the profession to end the dispute.

Dr Mike Henley, a member of the BMA's consultants committee, said the profession was struggling to recruit staff because of poor pay

Among those on the picket line outside the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham was Dr Mike Henley, a member of the British Medical Association (BMA) consultants committee.

He said: "Our pay has fallen by 35% since 2008, which is just impossible, particularly as it fares so badly against international standards.

"And we're really struggling to recruit and retain doctors.

"And of course for patients, that means worsening waiting times and with waiting times at 7.5 million already, it's something the country can ill afford."

Consultants walked out from 07:00 BST in their dispute over pay

NHS England said thousands of planned appointments had been postponed.

Consultants will stop seeing many patients and will not be around to supervise the work of junior doctors.

England's Health Secretary Steve Barclay urged the profession to end the dispute.

He said the government had listened to their concerns, by increasing the amount that can be paid directly into pension pots tax-free, as well as accepting the recommendations of the independent pay review body and giving consultants a 6% pay rise this year.