The UK Government and the British Medical Association (BMA) have announced reaching an agreement that could see an end to the long-standing pay dispute involving junior doctors.
BMA is set to recommend the new pay offer to its members, which promises a significant increase in salaries and could halt 15 months of disruptive strike action.
If ratified, junior doctors will receive a pay rise of 3.71% to 5.05%, averaging at 4.05%.
This increase will be on top of their existing pay award for 2023-24, backdated to April 2023.
For the following year, the government has agreed to implement the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) recommendations for the 2024-25 period.
It involves offering a 6% uplift across the pay scale along with an additional £1,000 ($1,283), averaging an increase of over 8%, effective from 1 April 2024.
The combined salary increases will result in a foundation training doctor's base pay rising to £36,600, up from approximately £32,400.
Similarly, a full-time doctor entering speciality training will see their basic pay increase to over £49,900 from around £43,900.
In a media release, BMA has highlighted that the deal also includes commitments to address junior doctors' concerns regarding additional work hours and payment, as well as reforms to the training and rotational placement systems.
Apart from financial improvements, the BMA and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have agreed to rename “junior doctors” to “resident doctors” from September this year, to more accurately reflect their level of expertise.
The title change to “resident doctors” is part of a broader ambition to reset the relationship between the government and NHS doctors.
DDRB will also be tasked with considering the overall reward package and career progression for resident doctors for the 2025-26 recommendations.
BMA’s junior doctor's committee co-chairs, Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, said: “We are recommending that members vote for the deal. We believe that this is the best offer available at this moment in time and that the inclusion of the additional reforms makes the package a good step forward for our profession, acknowledging there is still more work to be done in the future.”
DHSC Secretary Wes Streeting added: “This is a fair offer. Fair to junior doctors, fair to patients and fair to the NHS.”
