Senior Doctors Announce Additional Strike Days in Protest of Insulting Pay Rise
- Rishi Sunak Refuses Further Talks on Pay
By Xantha Leatham, Deputy Science Editor for The Daily Mail
Updated: 07:15 BST, 17 July 2023
Senior doctors have announced two additional strike days next month and plan to continue striking “in due course” following an “insulting” 6% pay rise.
The National Health Service’s (NHS) most skilled and experienced clinicians, consultants, are already striking in a dispute over pay. Despite earning six-figure salaries and concerns about the impact on waiting lists, the British Medical Association (BMA) has declared additional strike dates on August 24 and 25. The BMA is demanding a 35% pay increase.
The decision to strike comes after Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that there would be no further discussions on pay increases and that the 6% deal was final.
Dr Vishal Sharma, Chairman of the BMA Consultants Committee, stated, “The Government has imposed a severe real-terms pay cut on consultants. Inflation is running at over 11%, so this is nothing short of insulting.”
Consultants — the NHS’s most experienced, highly skilled clinicians — are already striking on Thursday and Friday in a dispute over pay
Despite £126,000 Salaries
Consultants argue that they are seeking a 35% pay rise to account for the real-terms reduction in their take-home pay since 2008. However, Freedom of Information figures reveal that 80% of senior doctors earn more than £102,000 a year, and 50% earn more than £126,000. The top 10% earn over £176,000, surpassing the annual salary of the Prime Minister. The 6% pay increase will raise the average pay of consultants to £127,000 a year, according to Health Secretary Steve Barclay. This award translates to an average salary increase of £6,300. Additionally, a senior doctor who retires at 65 can now expect to receive a pension “in excess of £60,000 per year.”
Dr. Sharma added, “Consultants have made it clear that industrial action is a last resort. However, in light of the Government’s devaluation of consultants’ expertise and their disregard for the impact on the NHS, we have had no choice. We have therefore announced the forthcoming strike dates in August and will announce further dates in due course.” During the strike, emergency care will still be provided, maintaining Christmas Day levels of cover.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay responded to the strike decision by challenging the consultants, highlighting their £127,000 earnings and £60,000+ annual pension. He argued that consultants already earn a “significant amount of money” and that asking for more is “out of line with the earnings of their other NHS colleagues.” Barclay addressed the consultants directly in the Sunday Times, hoping they would view the pay award and pension reforms as fair and reasonable and call off the strikes.
Thus far, at least 650,000 appointments and surgeries have been canceled due to NHS strikes.
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