Doctor pay review body overhaul part of Government offer to end consultant strikes

The Government and the BMA have reached an agreement in principle on an offer that could end consultant strikes.

The offer could also affect GPs, as it also sees the Government committing to an overhaul of the workings of the Review Body on Doctors and Dentists Remuneration (DDRB).

For consultants, the Government is offering a 4.95% investment in pay for this financial year, in addition to the 6% pay uplift already awarded.

This will be put to BMA and Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) members for a vote in the coming weeks.

The BMA and Government will also work together on a review of the DDRB.

This will examine the appointments of members to the DDRB, the timing of the round, remit letters and terms of reference, and the data provided to the body on which it bases its recommendations, with changes to be implemented for the 2025/26 pay year, the Government said.

No further strike action will be called while members are being consulted.  

If the offer is accepted, the BMA has agreed to call an end to strike action and to stop promoting the extra-contractual rate card for consultants in England.

However, a re-ballot on industrial action remains open and if passed, would enable consultants to call further strikes in 2024 if the offer is rejected, the BMA said.

Health secretary Victoria Atkins said: ‘I hugely value the work of NHS consultants and am pleased that we have been able to make this fair and reasonable offer after weeks of constructive negotiations. 

‘If accepted, it will modernise pay structures, directly addressing gender pay issues in the NHS. It will also enhance consultants’ parental leave options. 

‘Putting an end to this strike action will support our efforts to bring down waiting lists and offer patients the highest quality care.’   

Dr Vishal Sharma, BMA consultants committee chair, said: ‘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.’

Earlier this month, the new health secretary said she was ‘committed to getting around the table’ to resolve disputes around pay that led to NHS strikes.

In July, the Government announced a 6% pay rise for doctors (excluding GP partners) saying this was a ‘final’ offer which ‘no amount of strikes’ would change.