Resident doctors across England have agreed to a new pay and conditions deal with the Government, bringing a full year of industrial action to an end, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). Since July last year, resident doctors have held 21 days of strike action organised by the British Medical Association’s (BMA) Resident Doctor Committee (RDC), aimed at pay restoration and improving career pathways.
Details of the new deal
The new deal includes standard contract terms for all resident doctors, whether nationally or locally employed. They will see an average 6.6% salary increase fully in place by April 2027. As a result of the increase, earnings will be 35.2% higher on average than four years ago, the DHSC said. Up to 4,500 additional training places will also be created, giving more resident doctors the opportunity to progress to more senior roles.
Reactions from officials
Health Secretary James Murray said: "This is very good news for resident doctors, patients and the NHS as a whole, allowing us to draw a line under the disruption of previous months and focus on getting on with the job of rebuilding our health service." He added: "Because of this deal, resident doctors will benefit from a new pay structure, better career progression opportunities and a range of other improved conditions to support them as they rotate and train. Patients will be relieved that the NHS is entering a period of greater stability."
Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of RDC, said: "Resident doctors have spoken. They have decided that the current offer is sufficient to continue on the road to pay restoration and sufficient to address the absurd lack of jobs in the NHS. The strikes will now end." He noted: "These strikes did not need to happen. We spent far too long at loggerheads with the Government when a solution in everyone's interest was waiting for us: more jobs for doctors, better pay for doctors, and a better-staffed NHS secured for patients well into the future."
Ballot results
Figures show that 53% of eligible members voted to accept the package. The total turnout for the ballot reached 57%, with 32,932 people voting. The online ballot was open from June 18 to 26.
Dean Royles, interim chief executive of NHS Employers, said: "After such a long-running dispute that has caused so much upset and disruption to patient care, all parties will be pleased that a resolution now seems to have been found and there will be no further strike action." He explained that the 'hard work of implementation will now begin' across the health service, describing the upcoming targets as 'ambitious'.
Political criticism
Stuart Andrew MP, the Conservative shadow health secretary, criticised Labour for making concessions to the BMA. "Many will be relieved that these strikes are finally coming to an end, but at what cost? This is the second consecutive year that Labour has had to make major concessions to end these strikes, and the BMA is already planning further industrial action," he said.
