Senior doctors in England reach pay deal with the Government after year-long dispute
Senior doctors in England have ended their pay dispute with the government
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Senior doctors in England have reached a pay deal with the Government in a major breakthrough that brings a year-long dispute to an end.
The deal will help address the gender pay gap in medicine, and also gives consultants more clarity on their pay progression arrangements, the government says.
It also provides consultants with more confidence in the review body that advises government on rates of pay for doctors and dentists.
The core contract for consultants has not been updated for 20 years and the government hopes this offer will deliver reform to reflect modern ways of working, such as enhanced shared parental leave, in line with other NHS staff.
The accepted offer includes a 2.85 percent (£3,000) uplift for those who have been consultants between four and seven years, who under the original offer received no additional uplift, said the British Medical Association (BMA).
The offer is in addition to the six percent awarded during the profession’s pay review body (DDRB) process last summer.
The BMA said its members in England voted in favour by 83 percent, describing the offer as an improvement on one rejected earlier this year.
The offer includes important changes to the DDRB, which represents “significant progress” in returning the pay review body to its “original purpose and independence”, the BMA said.
The BMA said its members in England voted in favour by 83 percent
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It said that from next year, there will be changes to the way the review body will appoint members, and the Government will no longer be able to constrain its remit with reference to inflation targets and economic evidence.
The BMA added: “These changes mean that the DDRB can no longer ignore the historical losses that doctors have suffered or the fact that countries abroad are competing for UK doctors with the offer of significantly higher salaries.
“The offer also improves on the previous proposal to reform the consultant pay scale.”
Doctor Vishal Sharma, who chairs the BMA consultants committee, said: “The last year has seen consultants take unprecedented strike action in our fight to address our concerns about pay and how the supposedly independent pay review process was operating.
“After years of repeated real-terms pay cuts, caused by Government interference and a failure of the pay review process, consultants have spoken and now clearly feel that this offer is enough of a first step to address our concerns to end the current dispute.
“However, it’s now imperative that the DDRB utilises its independence to restore doctors’ pay and prevent any further disputes from arising.
“We’ve reached this point not just through our tough negotiations with the Government, but thanks to the resolve of consultants, who took the difficult decision to strike, and did so safely and effectively, on multiple occasions, sending a clear message that they would not back down.
“At the heart of this dispute was our concern for patients and the future sustainability of the NHS. Without valuing doctors, we lose them. Without doctors, we have no NHS and patients suffer.
“But the fight is not yet over. This is only the end of the beginning, and we have some way to go before the pay consultants have lost over the last 15 years has been restored. Therefore, all eyes will be on this year’s pay review round, recommendations from the DDRB and response from the Government.”
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PIM Rishi Sunak claims the deal is both fair for doctors and the taxpayer
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “The end of consultant strike action in the NHS is excellent news for patients. It will mean we can continue making progress towards our goal of cutting the waiting lists, which have now fallen for the fourth month in a row.
“Consultants perform a vital role at the heart of the NHS – I’m pleased they’ve accepted this deal, which is fair for them and fair for the taxpayer.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “I hugely value the work of NHS consultants and I am pleased that, after weeks of negotiations, they have accepted this fair and reasonable offer, putting an end to the threat of further strike action.
“Consultants will now be able to focus on providing the highest quality care for patients and we can consolidate our progress on waiting lists – which have fallen for the past four months.
“This deal directly addresses gender pay issues in the NHS and enhances consultants’ parental leave options – representing a fair deal for consultants, patients, and taxpayers.”
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