NHS consultants in England to vote on new pay deal in push to end strikes

An end to a wave of strikes by senior NHS doctors in England was in sight on Tuesday after the union representing consultants agreed to recommend a new pay offer by the government to members.

The British Medical Association said the proposal included an extra £3,000 for senior doctor between four and seven years into their careers, in addition to a 6 per cent rise last April.

In January, BMA consultant members narrowly rejected an offer that included a 4.95 per cent “investment in pay” for the 2023-24 financial year. That offer applied only to consultants with more than seven years’ experience.

Dr Vishal Sharma, chair of the BMA consultants committee, said on Tuesday that the “hard fought-for” offer was a “step forward in restoring fairness”.

“If it is accepted, as we hope it will be, it is essential that the pay review process makes recommendations that will further restore consultants’ pay in the coming years, to fix the retention crisis,” he added.

Ministers are still in talks with junior doctors in England, who walked out for five days last month in a stoppage that increased pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to agree a pay deal ahead of the election expected this year.

Industrial action across the health service since December 2022 has compounded pressures on the NHS in England, with more than 1.3mn operations and appointments cancelled since strikes began.

This winter was one of the toughest on record for the NHS, with medical professionals contending with an influx of patients with flu and Covid-19 while trying to cut long waiting lists for routine care.

Consultants had been calling for an above-inflation pay rise this year as the first step towards addressing 15 years of pay erosion. In July, the government awarded consultants a 6 per cent pay increase for last year. Junior doctors also received a £1,250 payment consolidated into base salary.

In a statement on Tuesday, Sunak said: “Ending strike action in the NHS is vital if we want to cut waiting lists and make sure patients are getting the care they deserve. This improved offer demonstrates that we are seeking a fair agreement that is good for consultants, good for patients, and good for the taxpayer.”

BMA consultant members will vote on the offer between March 14 and April 3. The new deal will also be voted on by members of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association, a smaller trade union for hospital doctors.

Victoria Atkins, health and social care secretary, said she was “glad that unions are recommending this revised offer to their members”, adding that it would “modernise pay structures . . . and enhance consultants’ parental leave options”.

The BMA is at present balloting junior doctor members for a fresh six-month mandate to call walkouts.

Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chair of the union’s junior doctors committee, told the Financial Times last month that they were willing to consider a pay rise this year that was lower than their original 35 per cent demand.