Senior doctors in England have resolved their pay dispute with the government, backed by two major trade unions. Consultants will receive a pay increase of nearly 20% for the financial year 2023-24, following four strikes in recent months. The British Medical Association (BMA) and the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) reported that 83% of members voted in favor of the new pay offer, which includes additional sums for consultants between four and seven years into their careers.
This pay rise will be backdated to March 2024. Additionally, consultants will be eligible for a separate pay rise for the 2024-25 financial year. The offer also involves reforming the doctors’ pay review body. Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins welcomed the acceptance of the offer, emphasizing its potential to improve patient care and address waiting lists. Meanwhile, junior doctors in England remain in dispute over pay, with a fresh mandate to strike. In Wales, junior doctors are also in dispute with their government, while consultants and specialist doctors have voted to strike later this month. Similarly, junior doctors in Northern Ireland have recently gone on strike over pay, and consultants are set to be balloted for industrial action.