The British Medical Association (BMA)’s junior doctors committee has accepted the Government’s pay offer, putting an end to strike action that started almost two years ago.
The doctors’ union said that 66% of junior doctors in England voted in favour of the deal, which will increase pay by 22.3% over two years.
The offer includes a backdated pay rise of 4.05% for 2023/24, which is on top of the existing increase of between 8.8% and 10.3%. For the current financial year, junior doctors will receive an average 8% increase via the pay review body’s recommendation of 6%, as well as a consolidated payment of £1,000.
Junior doctors have been in dispute with the Government over real-terms pay cuts since October 2022, and have since taken 44 days of strike action.
Junior doctors committee co-chairs Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said: ‘It should never have taken so long to get here, but we have shown what can be accomplished with our determination and with a government willing to simply sit down and talk realistically about a path to pay restoration. One strike was one strike too many.
‘This deal marks the end of 15 years of pay erosion with the beginning of two years of modest above inflation pay rises.
‘There is still a long way to go, with doctors remaining 20.8% in real terms behind where we were in 2008.
‘Mr Streeting has acknowledged our pay has fallen behind and has talked about a journey to pay restoration. He believes the independent pay review body is the right vehicle for this, and if he is right then no doctor need strike over pay in future. However, in the event the pay review body disappoints, he needs to be prepared for the consequences.’
Outside the pay negotiations, the Government has agreed that from 18 September 2024 junior doctors across the UK will be known as ‘resident doctors’ in a move to ‘better reflect their expertise’.
This follows a motion to the BMA’s annual policy making conference in 2023 when doctors voted in favour of a name change.
Commenting on the pay deal and end to strike action, health secretary Wes Streeting said: ’We inherited a broken NHS, the most devastating dispute in the health service’s history, and negotiations hadn’t taken place with the previous ministers since March.
‘Things should never have been allowed to get this bad. That’s why I made ending the strikes a priority, and we negotiated an end to them in just three weeks.
‘I am pleased that our offer has been accepted, ending the strikes ahead of looming winter pressures on the NHS.
‘This marks the necessary first step in our mission to cut waiting lists, reform the broken health service, and make it fit for the future.’
Referring to junior doctors by their new title, Dr Katharine Halliday, president of The Royal College of Radiologists, said: ‘We are delighted to hear that resident doctors have voted to accept the Government’s pay deal, bringing a much-needed end to industrial action. This cohort of doctors are invaluable, providing a great part of patient care, while developing into the future leaders of our health system. We look forward to working with resident doctors and the Government to ensure that their working lives are improved.
‘All doctors strive to provide the best possible service for their patients, but often working conditions and a lack of resources prevent this. The Government must now act on their promise to reform and prioritise training, and provide doctors with the right resources and sufficient capital investment so that they feel supported and valued in delivering the best care for patients.‘Responding to the ‘great news‘ that junior doctors have accepted the pay offer, Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: ‘The dispute has been disruptive, divisive and costly.
‘It’s been a major distraction for Trust leaders in their work to maintain and improve services at a time of extraordinary pressure on the NHS.
‘Now there is a real opportunity to move on. It’s vital though that the agreement does not eat into Trust budgets which are already severely stretched.‘
The junior doctors pay deal comes five months after consultants in England voted in favour of their own pay deal, alongside reform of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration, also putting an end to strike action.
A version of this article was originally published by our sister publication Pulse.
