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Striking NHS consultants have reached a deal with the Government that could end the strikes.
Officials said they refused to budge on their six percent pay rise for the year.
But the British Medical Association (BMA) said there will be an additional 4.95 per cent ‘salary investment’ which will allow consultants – who earn six-figure salaries, on average – to increase their pay by up to £20,000.
The union said the agreement comes after a month of “intense negotiations” with the Government and will now put the offer to a vote among its members, a move that could end the strike.
The measures among NHS staff, which began last December, have led to the cancellation of around 1.2 million appointments and cost more than £1 billion, official figures suggest.
NHS consultants carry banners as they strike on a picket line outside University College Hospital in London on September 19.
Official data shows that NHS strikes have caused more than 1 million routine procedures and appointments to be rescheduled.
Pictured: NHS consultants and junior doctors carry banners as they strike outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London on September 20.
The Government has agreed to changes to the pay scale structure for consultants, which will see fewer points by which their salaries will increase. However, doctors will reach the top rung of the ladder five years earlier than under the current plan.
It means doctors with eight years of consultant experience will see their salaries rise by £19,459, or 12.8 per cent, from January 2024 compared to their earnings until March 2023.
While this group of doctors are the biggest winners from the deal, those with just two years’ experience will see their salaries rise by £5,634, or six per cent – the government’s initial offer.
Consultants, along with other doctors, are expected to see their pay rise further from April 2024 as part of an annual pay review process.
The BMA said the reforms will benefit women who take time out of work and “may be disadvantaged under the current system” and expand the right to shared parental leave, helping to address “the gender pay gap in medicine.” “.
Officials also agreed with the union that it will reform the Doctors and Dentists Remuneration Review Body (DDRB), the body that sets doctors’ salaries.
The BMA will have a say over panel members and the Government will no longer limit how much the DDRB can recommend based on the UK’s economic performance and inflation targets.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said ending “harmful strikes” was “vitally important” to reduce waiting lists.
“This is a fair deal for the consultants who will benefit from a major overhaul to their contract, it is fair for taxpayers because it will not jeopardize our ongoing work to tackle inflation and, most importantly, it is a good deal for patients will see the end of the consultants’ strike,” he said.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: ‘I greatly value the work of NHS consultants and am pleased that we have been able to make this fair and reasonable offer after weeks of constructive negotiations.
‘If accepted, it will modernize pay structures, directly addressing gender pay issues in the NHS. It will also improve parental leave options for consultants.’
The BMA argued that the salaries of experienced doctors have been eroded over the past 15 years. He said consultants, who are among the top two percent of earners in the country, should see their salaries increase by 11 percent.
However, the Government had said its six per cent pay offer was final. This would see doctors’ full-time basic pay increase from around £88,300 to £93,600.
When additional payments are added, such as for overtime, the average earnings of consultants would increase to £134,000.
However, the BMA said the offer left senior doctors “angry” and “at the bottom” and 86 per cent of its senior doctor members voted in favor of strike action.
As a result, consultants picketed in July, marking the first strike by senior doctors in a decade. They carried out further actions in August and September, including the first joint strike with young doctors.
However, the BMA announced in October that it would suspend strikes by consultants to create a “window” for talks with the Government.
He urged the Prime Minister to let the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) intervene to try to end their pay dispute.
Officials had said compensation was not up for negotiation, but other incentives could be discussed.
While official figures suggest 1.2 million NHS appointments have been canceled due to strikes, the figure is believed to be even higher.
Not all NHS trusts share data on canceled appointments and some hospitals stopped booking surgeries and consultations for strike days.