Doctors' Sub-Inflation Pay Awards Are Extremely Disappointing, Says BMA, UK

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 07 Apr 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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Doctors are today (Monday 7 April, 2008) facing another year of below inflation pay awards, with effective cuts for many. Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the British Medical Association, warns of anger and disappointment within the medical profession at what he describes as "unacceptable" pay rises.

The government has today (Monday 7 April, 2008) announced it will implement in full the recommendations of the Doctors and Dentists Pay Review Body. First year junior doctors will not be compensated for the loss of their entitlement to free accommodation*. The average increase in resources for GP practices is estimated to be 0.2%.** Hospital doctors will receive a below inflation pay rise of 2.2%.

Dr Meldrum says: "This is a complex report which we need to study in depth before commenting in detail, but it is clear that the treatment of junior doctors is completely unacceptable. This will further outrage a group that has already suffered enough.

"The loss of free hospital accommodation means doctors graduating from medical school with massive debts will effectively be losing £400 a month - a 20% pay cut. It makes the government's promises to increase the diversity of the medical profession look completely hollow. The BMA will now be considering the next steps to ensure first year junior doctors are not left out of pocket.

"Some GPs will receive a small increase in the resources necessary to run their practices, but many will receive nothing at all. After two years of zero awards, this is a further slap in the face for GPs and a further significant erosion of the deal the government agreed to just four years ago. The sub-inflation rise of 2.2% for consultants and other salaried hospital doctors is also extremely disappointing and will do little to promote their engagement within the NHS."

Notes

* In previous reports, the DDRB has cited the entitlement to free accommodation as an argument against increasing junior doctors' pay.

** GPs have been given an increase of 2.7% on only one part of their funding (the Global Sum), with no increase in their performance-related pay for quality (the Quality and Outcomes Framework or QOF) or for providing existing enhanced services. The overall impact of the award is estimated as a 0.2% average increase in payments to GP practices. However, because of the way the GP contract operates, most practices will not receive any increase in payments as a result of this increase in the global sum.

http://www.bma.org.uk