Rebecca welcomes the news that 150,000 NHS doctors will start to receive a pay rise this month after the Government accepted in full the recommendations of the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration.
This pay rise balances the need to keep inflation in check while giving staff significant pay increases. First year doctors in training will receive an increase from £29,300 to £32,000, a raise of 10.3% whilst junior doctors with 3 years' experience will see their salary increase from £40,200 to £43,900.
Pay scales for consultants are also increasing by 6%, meaning starting basic full-time pay will rise to £93,600. Taken together with on-call payments and other activities, the average consultant’s NHS earnings will increase to £134,000 a year. This is in addition to their 4.5% pay rise last year and significant pension reforms which saw the annual allowance for tax-free pension saving increase by 50% to £60,000 and removing the £1 million lifetime cap.
In addition to the pay award, some staff will benefit from performance pay, overtime, pay progression and pay rises from promotion.
The Government is funding this pay award through prioritisation within existing departmental budgets, with frontline services being protected. More borrowing would add pressures on inflation at exactly the wrong time, risking higher interest rates and higher mortgage rates.
Rebecca said in response to this news: 'I am happy this government has accepted in full the independent pay review body recommendations, this is the fair and reasonable way to determine pay for doctors and dentists providing essential services across the country'
The Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: 'We have worked at speed to ensure they will start receiving this in their pay packets this month. I’ve been clear this pay award is final and I urge the BMA to end its needless strikes – these are only serving to lengthen waiting lists, harm patients and put more pressure on their colleagues.'
