Doctors progress with focus on pay

Doctors across Britain have kept their focus on pay and made significant progress. They have not been diverted by the change of government. Settlement for junior hospital doctors in England, the main outstanding claim, is a priority.

There are successes on several fronts in Wales. The BMA’s consultants, junior doctors and SAS (specialist, associate specialist, and specialty doctors) committees in Wales have each accepted the Welsh Government’s pay offers at the end of June.

BMA members in Wales voted in favour of the deals, putting an end to the three separate pay disputes for doctors working in hospitals and secondary care.

Unity

Junior doctors voted massively for an improved deal – with 96 per cent in favour. That showed their unity, evident from start to end of the dispute. They have accepted a 7.4 per cent additional uplift, taking the total to a 12.4 per cent uplift, backdated to April 2023.

The vote in favour was also high in the other two areas – 86 per cent for consultants and 82 per cent for the SAS members.

The improved offers were the result of weeks of pay negotiations. They began in April this year after sustained pressure from BMA Cymru Wales, including three strikes by junior doctors and planned industrial action by senior doctors.

Unresolved

The incoming government is in an interesting position, particularly with regard to junior doctors in England. Their unresolved dispute stands out as those in Scotland and Wales with doctors are settled – at least for now.

Dr Oba Babs-Osibodu and Dr Peter Fahey, co-chairs of the BMA’s Welsh Junior Doctors Committee, reflecting on the importance of the emphatic vote and with an eye to the future, said, “For too long, junior doctors have been undervalued. We chose to stand up and be counted, refusing to accept further cuts to our pay. While we are pleased with the progress we have made, the fight for full pay restoration is far from over”.

And in Northern Ireland junior doctors were on strike in June for the first time ever. That was swiftly followed by a 92 per cent vote for action from consultants. As a result the Northern Ireland Executive has offered immediate talks.

Bitter

In England, the previous government had settled with consultants and SAS doctors. But juniors in England remain locked in a bitter dispute. This led to five more days of strikes in late June and early July.

The chair of BMA council, Phil Banfield, addressing the recent BMA Annual Representative Meeting said, “We have proved that we can resolve disputes through negotiation.” A clear challenge to the new government to get down to business.