After months of protest and four rounds of strike action, NHS consultants could finally be close to reaching a pay deal with the UK government. British Medical Association (BMA) reps will present the offer to their members that will see the pay of an average consultant increase — while the time it takes to reach the top salary range shortens by five years.
‘All of us are planning our exit strategy,’ one consultant admitted — and the data suggests this isn’t hyperbole. Only last year, the BMA warned of a ‘major exodus’ of senior clinicians.
In an offer that has been described as a ‘disguised’ wage rise, consultants will also see their pay structures reformed and modernised. Consultants’ starting salary will increase, and the top level of pay will rise. Some senior doctors will not see additional rises while others may see their salaries go up by just under 13 per cent — but each individual’s pay rise will depend on the stage they’re at in their career.
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