More than 17,000 NHS consultants would vote in favour of strike action, the British Medical Association has announced.
The findings come from a consultative ballot which asked consultants if they would be prepared to strike over an ongoing pensions crisis and cuts to their pay.
The turnout was 61%, and 86% voted in favour of industrial action.
The BMA will now proceed with holding a statutory ballot of consultants in England around April 17.
If the ballot is successful, it will provide the union with a legal mandate for consultants to take strike action this spring.
Hospital consultants have faced some of the steepest pay cuts over the last fifteen years. Since 2008/09, the average consultant in England has seen their take-home pay cut by nearly 35% in real terms, according to the BMA.
Strike action by consultants will mean bank-holiday levels of service on weekdays. Emergency or urgent care will be assured.
The BMA has given the Government a deadline of April 3 to enter "meaningful negotiations" to avoid strikes taking place - which it is clear "is a last resort".
Junior doctors, who represented by the same union, are due to strike from next Monday (March 13) for 72 hours in a bitter row over pay and working conditions.
The latest group to join strike action is staff at the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the regulator for hospitals, care homes, GPs and dentists across England, Unison announced this morning.
Nurses and ambulance workers have called off their strike action planned for March after the Government finally agreed to enter pay talks with union leaders.
Consultants last took strike action in 2012 over pensions.
Dr Vishal Sharma, chair of the BMA consultants committee, said: “In my 25 years in the NHS, I have never seen consultants more demoralised, frustrated and in despair over this Government’s refusal to support the NHS workforce and the patients they serve.
"Consultants lead the teams which provide expert care and treatment to patients, they train future doctors, they innovate to improve patient services and lead medical research.
"Millions of patients benefit from the expert care and treatment that consultants provide. Despite these significant contributions, the Government is refusing to listen to consultants’ concerns, driving many out of the NHS entirely.
"If the Government truly wants to get the NHS back on track and tackle the record waiting lists, it must support the consultant workforce.
“Our position is clear. We will not allow the Government to continue to degrade consultants’ pay and pensions. This is having a hugely detrimental impact on patient care as staffing numbers plummet and things will only worsen unless we take a stand.
"Strike action is always a last resort and we have set out a clear timeline for the Government to put a serious proposal on the table. It is within the Government’s gift to pay doctors fairly for the crucial, lifesaving work they do and there are clear, straightforward solutions to fix the punitive pensions tax rules.
"For example, the government can implement a tax unregistered scheme, similar to the one it has already done for judges in order to enable doctors to remain working in the NHS. Our door remains open; it is not too late to prevent consultants from acting. But if the Government refuses to propose a workable solution, our members have made it clear that they are prepared to strike.”
NHS Providers’ chief executive Sir Julian Hartley said: “This move by consultants is another worrying development for NHS trust leaders, on top of the looming three-day strike by junior doctors. Strikes by consultants would heap yet more pressure on overstretched services.
“Patient safety and care is the top priority. Trust leaders urge the government and the BMA to find a resolution quickly.”
Unison's national officer Matthew Egan said: “CQC staff have had to put up with their pay rising at a much lower rate than inflation for more than a decade.
"Had wages kept pace with prices, employees at CQC would be earning around a quarter more than they are currently.
"Despite doing incredibly important work, staff have endured mounting financial hardship and watched as colleagues have departed for better paid work elsewhere. It's not hard to see why so many have voted to strike.
"Ministers must give CQC the freedom to negotiate its own pay settlements with unions and allow managers to come back with a much better offer for staff.
“CQC workers take pride in their jobs but have been taken for granted for too long. They earn significantly less than staff doing comparable jobs at organisations like NHS England, Ofsted and the Nursing & Midwifery Council.
"This is despite CQC not relying on government funding. With health and care systems under increasing pressure, it's time the government recognised the importance of the CQC and its staff and took steps to make sure they're paid fairly."
Follow Mirror Politics on Snapchat , Tiktok , Twitter and Facebook .
