Resident Doctors’ Pay Has Fallen Behind 2010-11 Levels, Report Finds

1 day ago

Pay for resident doctors has fallen by 4% to 10% since 2010-11, independent study finds, arsenic unit hole to onslaught connected Friday.

The study by nan wellness thinktank Nuffield Trust falls considerably beneath nan estimate from nan British Medical Association (BMA), which claims doctors’ salary has fallen by 29% since 2008-09, a clip framework conscionable 2 years longer.

The BMA is seeking a 29% emergence for resident doctors to assistance what it considers to beryllium afloat salary restoration – a request nan wellness secretary, Wes Streeting, has called “completely unreasonable” aft he gave a 22% emergence past twelvemonth for 2023-24 and 2024-25.

A aggregate statement chart show percent changes successful salary for different types of resident doctors

The Nuffield Trust noted nan net estimate tin alteration considerably depending connected which baseline year, ostentation measurement and salary dataset is used. It considers its method to beryllium nan astir robust, arsenic net information postulation changed successful 2010, and nan Office for National Statistics discourages nan usage of nan unit value scale (RPI) to correspond inflation, successful favour of nan user value scale (CPI), which is typically lower.

The report’s authors said: “A shortage of independent study has meant that overmuch of nan statement has been based connected flawed figures. All excessively often, existent levels of ostentation person been misrepresented, basal salary conflated pinch full pay, starting salary presented arsenic mean pay, whereas affordability arguments often do not recognise that immoderate further salary is returned to nan nationalist purse successful taxes.”

A BMA spokesperson said nan study proves that “whatever measurement you use, doctors’ salary has fallen complete nan past 15 years and more”.

They said nan BMA uses RPI because “we judge it champion reflects nan real-life acquisition of moving group successful nan UK”, and is utilized to group important surviving costs for doctors, specified arsenic student indebtedness repayments, cars taxes and train fare caps.

“What this study doesn’t acknowledge, is that since 2008-09 doctors’ salary has fallen by a overmuch greater magnitude successful existent position than nan remainder of nan population. Indeed, if you do usage CPI, nan full organization has successful truth achieved salary restoration to 2009 levels, while doctors still stay behind,” said nan spokesperson.

The Nuffield Trust study recovered that search salary complete nan past 4 decades revealed a “striking image of sustained periods of real-term increases followed by likewise sustained periods of real-terms decreases successful pay”. Because group thin to beryllium loss-averse, this intends doctors consciousness “the downside of real-terms cuts much acutely than nan upside of real-terms increases”, nan authors noted.

Since 2023, nan salary scales of resident doctors and consultants person started to summation again successful existent position aft a autumn complete nan decade prior. “Looking moreover further backmost to nan precocious nineties and early noughties, they person fared good compared to inflation,” nan authors said.

The 5,000 resident – formerly inferior – doctors nan BMA represents are group to onslaught for nan 12th clip since 2023 from 7am connected 25 July, aft talks collapsed pinch nan authorities complete pay.

Streeting had been looking to onslaught a woody pinch nan BMA by offering doctors a caller strategy of “forgiveness” of nan student loans built up astatine aesculapian school, which tin beryllium arsenic overmuch arsenic £100,000.

NHS England has urged infirmary main executives to support regular operations and appointments and only reschedule if location is simply a consequence to diligent safety.

Prof Meghana Pandit, nan NHS England nationalist aesculapian director, said: “There is nary uncertainty this business action will return a toll connected patients and NHS staff, and it is disappointing it is going ahead. While it will mean immoderate appointments won’t beryllium capable to spell up arsenic planned, we are doing each we tin to limit this, and patients should proceed to usage NHS services successful nan accustomed way.”

The BMA assembly chair, Dr Tom Dolphin, called NHS England’s announcement “worrying” and “irresponsible” since delivering non-urgent planned attraction connected onslaught deals “will time off staffing levels unsafe crossed nan board”. Instead elder doctors should prioritise emergency and urgent care, he said.

Barclays estimates nan resident doctors onslaught could lead Britain’s system to flatline successful nan 3rd quarter. Its economists said 250,000 moving days could beryllium mislaid during nan business action, which could trim nan UK’s maturation complaint by astir 0.1 percent points. The slope had been forecasting 0.1% maturation successful Q3. It says location is simply a “heightened risk” nan onslaught could swipe this retired to zero.

The Nuffield Trust study showed that for nan twelvemonth to March 2026, resident doctors starting their first twelvemonth postgraduate training connected nan occupation will person a full-time basal net of £38,831, topped up connected mean to £45,900, erstwhile further and unsocial hours, being connected call, and geographical allowances are included.

Specialty registrars, who person completed their two-year postgraduate training, person a basal net of betwixt £52,656 and £73,992 depending connected experience, reaching £80,500 including top-up pay.

For NHS consultants, their basal salaries commencement astatine £109,725, rising to £145,478 for those pinch 14 years of acquisition astatine that grade, and pinch top-ups taking them up to £161,600.

The study notes that GP net are harder to pin down, but estimate these whitethorn person been astir £163,500 for partners and £108,300 for salaried GPs successful 2022-23.

For 2024-25, nan mean NHS net of doctors successful their first twelvemonth of activity was supra nan median. Specialty registrars’ mean NHS net were higher than nan salaries of astir 9 successful 10 of nan wider workforce, while GP partner and consultants’ NHS net were successful nan apical 1-2%.