More than half of Britons oppose senior doctors strikes, poll finds, as figures show health unions amassing huge war chests to fund crippling walkouts

Published: 11:16 EDT, 28 October 2026 | Updated: 11:28 EDT, 28 October 2026 More than half of Britons oppose senior NHS doctors going on strike, a poll found today, as figures show health unions have amassed huge war chests to fund crippling walkouts.Nearly six in ten (58 per cent) of the public told pollster YouGov they either ‘strongly’ or ‘somewhat’ oppose next month’s walkout by consultants.By comparison, less than a third (31 per cent) said they ‘strongly’ or ‘somewhat’ support the industrial action, which will see senior doctors walkout for 48 hours over November 25 and 26.Older people were more likely to oppose the strikes, with more than three-quarters (77 per cent) of those aged 65 or over opposing them. Just 29 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds said they did.It comes after the Mail revealed that around one in ten senior NHS doctors are raking in more than £200,000 a year.Data compiled by health officials shows the top 5 per cent highest-paid NHS consultants earned £223,518 on average in the 12 months to April. The next best-paid 5 per cent banked an average of £203,810.In total, there are around 66,759 consultants working in the NHS, suggesting more than 6,000 are taking home £200,000 or more in pay. Nearly four in ten (58 per cent) of the public told pollster YouGov they either ‘strongly’ or ‘somewhat’ oppose next month’s walkout by consultants, orchestrated by the BMA union Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has said the senior doctors strikes are 'very disappointing' and that industrial action over winter would be 'irresponsible' Tory shadow health secretary Damian Hinds said ‘Labour has given in to the BMA while failing to ensure minimum service levels are properly implemented' Separate figures unearthed by the Mail show health union bosses have amassed huge war chests to help fund strikes.Ahead of announcing the senior doctor strikes on Monday, they showed that the militant BMA topped up its ‘industrial action fund’ by a third.Its annual accounts show the fund – used to help orchestrate and prolong crippling walkouts to ensure its demands are met – has jumped from £1million to £1.3million.Meanwhile, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has a strike war chest of £35million, according to its latest accounts.The huge funds could be used to help cover lost pay or costs incurred by striking nurses and doctors.The RCN has also threatened strikes after saying initial Government proposals for a 2.4 per cent pay rise for doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers for the 2027-28 financial year was a ‘betrayal’.But the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England have told the pay review body it can’t afford more without 'difficult trade-offs', which may involve cutting services or longer waits for care.Tory shadow health secretary Damian Hinds said: ‘Labour has given in to the BMA while failing to ensure minimum service levels are properly implemented.‘Ministers must make clear that rewarding staff cannot come at the expense of patients.‘The Conservatives value consultant doctors but we will also insist on minimum service levels and accountability, ensuring patients receive the care they need and taxpayers get value for money.‘We will ban doctors' strikes to ensure industrial disputes do not put patients at risk.’Many consultants supplement NHS work with private practice, with some doubling their income.Only 18,069 of 35,067 (52 per cent) consultants eligible to vote in the BMA ballot did. Of these, 13,695 voted in favour of striking.Health officials say the demands would cost taxpayers between £2billion and £3billion. The BMA claims consultants have suffered a 25 per cent real-terms pay cut over the past 17 years.Emergency cover will continue during the strikes, with hospitals operating staffing arrangements similar to Christmas Day.Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has said the senior doctors’ strikes are 'very disappointing' and that industrial action over winter would be 'irresponsible'.YouGov surveyed 12,544 adults over 27 and 28 October.