Junior doctors offered 20 per cent pay rise

The deal, which could bring an end to strikes, will need to be put to the British Medical Association’s members

Junior doctors have agreed to a pay deal with the Government which will mean a 20 per cent pay rise over two years.
The deal, which could bring an end to strikes, will need to be put to the British Medical Association’s (BMA) members.
Ministers entered formal negotiations with the BMA’s junior doctors’ committee last Tuesday, after several weeks of holding wider discussions.
Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, and Karin Smyth, the health minister, met with Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chairmen of the committee, for the talks that aimed to end the long-running dispute over pay.
The terms, agreed between the Government and the union, would mean an extra 4 per cent on average for 2023/24, on top of an average of 8.8 per cent already awarded.
They will also get an extra 6 per cent for 2024/25, topped up by a consolidated £1,000 payment.
For those starting out, the increases will be still greater – with increases of 14 per cent for the lowest paid.
In 2023/24, junior doctors in England received an average increase of 8.8 per cent.
They will now be offered 4.05 per cent on top of this, equating to a total of 12.85 per cent.
In 2024/25, they will receive a pay rise of 6 per cent, plus a consolidated £1,000 payment – the equivalent to a rise between 7 and 9 per cent.
It means an average increase of around 20 per cent and a rise of 22 per cent for those who are starting out.
The overall package, with estimated costs of £1 billion, represents a pay rise of about 20 per cent.
Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, is expected to confirm the pay rises on Monday afternoon when she appears before the Commons for a statement on the state of public finances.
The BMA’s committee has agreed to put the offer to its members. If accepted it would spell an end to industrial action.
However, given that junior doctors have been pushing for a 35 per cent rise, there is no guarantee members will accept the offer.
Junior doctors say the push for a 35 per cent rise is necessary to restore pay following years where it has not kept pace with inflation.
Later on Monday the Government is expected to confirm a pay rise of 5.5 per cent for other NHS workers, including nurses, after accepting the recommendations of the independent pay review body. This pay rise covers around 1.3 million staff.
Doctors and dentists will receive a pay rise of 6 per cent while senior NHS managers will receive a pay rise of 5 per cent.