End in sight for bitter NHS consultants’ pay row with Tories as deal reached
A bitter pay dispute between the Tories and NHS consultants might be nearing an finish after a deal was struck.
The Department of Health introduced the 2 sides “have reached an agreement to put an offer to union members following constructive negotiations”.
The British Medical Association stated the supply was for a 4.95% “investment in pay – for this financial year – in addition to the 6% pay uplift already awarded for this year”.
It added: “If the offer is accepted, the changes will be applicable from January 2024, but will be paid retrospectively in April 2024.”
The DHSC stated: “Talks were opened with the British Medical Association and Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association last month to find a fair and reasonable way forward. All parties strived to find a fair deal for NHS consultants but also one that acknowledges the wider economic pressures facing the UK and the need to continue to bring down inflation. ”
The ministry stated the pact would “will invest in modernising the consultants’ pay structure – reducing the number of pay points and the time it takes to reach the top, taking effect from January 2024”.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated: “Ending damaging strike action in the NHS is vitally important if we want to continue making progress towards cutting waiting lists while making sure patients get the care they deserve. This is a fair deal for consultants who will benefit from major reform to their contract, it is fair for taxpayers because it will not risk our ongoing work to tackle inflation, and most importantly it is a good deal for patients to see the end of consultant industrial action.”
BMA consultants committee chairman Dr Vishal Sharma stated: “We are pleased that after a month of intense talks and more than six months of strike action we never wanted to take, we have now got an offer we can put to members. It is a huge shame that it has needed consultants to take industrial action to get the Government to this point when we called for talks many months ago.
“The 4.95% investment and much-needed changes to the pay scale system comes after we successfully persuaded the Government to reform the punitive pension taxation laws earlier this year, and we also now have commitments to reforming the pay review process, which has been a key ask from the profession throughout our dispute. Only by restoring the independence of this process can we hope to restore consultant pay over the coming years.”
