Junior doctors have accepted the government's pay offer by 66%,
after the most prolonged industrial dispute in the NHS' history.
Under the deal - which the Health Secretary agreed with BMA
leadership within three weeks of coming into office – the
government and junior doctors will work together to turn the
health service around and resolve wider issues affecting the
workforce – including training and rotational placements.
As Lord Ara Darzi set out in his probe into the
NHS, this government inherited a broken NHS which is in a
critical condition. This is a sentiment shared by doctors, and
has been seriously compounded by the impact of strikes.
The deal comes days after the Prime Minister delivered a major
speech on NHS reform, saying the government has a profound
responsibility to do the hard work required to fix the NHS with
long term reform, and the NHS workforce will play an integral
part in both designing and delivering the government's ten year
health plan to deliver the necessary reform.
The price of not settling the pay dispute has seen catastrophic
impacts not just on the country's economy – with NHS strikes
costing the taxpayer almost £1.7 billion since April last year –
but to patients and the nation's health, with over 1.5 million
appointments cancelled. Ending this chaos is a necessary first
step in turning around the NHS.
Doctors can now focus on treating their patients, and work with
the government to recover and reform the NHS. The government has
already taken action to remove red tape preventing general
practices from hiring doctors – ensuring more than 1,000 newly
qualified GPs can be recruited by the end of the year.
NHS patients will have earlier access to new treatments and the
UK will become the home of cutting-edge health research after the
launch of The Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicine Pricing,
Access and Growth (VPAG) Investment Programme last month – a
joint public-private investment programme worth up to £400
million.
The Darzi report has also been welcomed by NHS England and health
organisations who have pledged to work closely with the
government on its mission to rebuild the NHS.
The Health and Social Care Secretary made reaching a deal his top
priority on coming into office, and first spoke with the BMA's
Junior Doctors' Committee on his first day, ahead of the offer
being agreed within weeks.
Health and Social Care Secretary 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.”
The cumulative impact of the uplifts mean a doctor starting
foundation training in the NHS will see their basic pay increase
to £36,600, compared to around £32,400 before the deal.
Recognising how disruptive the system of rotations can be for
junior doctors, their partners and families, the department will
lead a review of the current system, with the intention of
reforming the number and frequency of rotations.
We will also be working with NHS England on a review of training
numbers, both to address the training bottlenecks which already
exist and the planned expansion of medical school places, to
ensure patients have access to the junior doctors they need
today, and the consultants and GPs they will need in the future.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- The government will now work quickly to implement the deal,
and a group will be stood up by NHS Employers to oversee this.
Pay uplifts for 2023-24 and 2024-25 (including arrears) are
expected to be reflected in November 2024 pay packets.
- Under the deal, junior doctors will receive an additional pay
rise of between 3.71% and 5.05%, averaging 4.05%.
- That is on top of the pay uplift they already received
for 2023-24.
- This will be backdated to 1 April 2023.
- The government has also accepted the recommendations of the
independent pay review bodies for 2024-2025, and increased junior
doctor pay scales by 6% plus a further permanent increase of
£1,000, averaging an increase of over 8% from 1 April 2024.
- The government will instruct pay review bodies to
consider the overall reward package and career progression for
resident doctors as part of its recommendations for 2025 to 2026.
This will help ensure that medicine remains an attractive
and rewarding career choice.
