Campaign Reply: Junior Doctors Pay

Thank you for contacting me about pay and conditions for junior doctors. 

The passion, commitment, and specialist knowledge of our junior doctors is part of what makes our NHS so special. I sympathise with the issues and challenges they are facing.

 

For 2023-24, the Government has accepted the independent pay review bodies’ pay recommendations in full, recognising the vital contribution that NHS staff make to our country. This will mean that pay scales for most doctors and dentists will increase by at least 6 per cent this year.

 

Around 130,000 full-time equivalent doctors and dentists, including junior doctors and consultants, will see their pay rise in line with the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration’s recommendations.

 

Pay for junior doctors will be increased by 8.8 per cent on average. Average basic pay for a first year junior doctor will increase from £29,300 to £32,300, while a junior doctor in core training with 3 years’ experience will see their salaries increase from £40,200 to £43,900.

 

This pay deal recognises the vital contribution of junior doctors in delivering patient care. In recent months, strike action has significantly disrupted patient care, and I strongly encourage the BMA to accept this deal, and shift away from their unsustainable position of demanding full pay restoration. 

 

Strike action has also cost taxpayers millions of pounds, with the NHS having to pay for cover to ensure patients can continue to be cared for - money that could be used to deliver more operations. The Government remains open to talks with the BMA on matters other than pay, such as improving working conditions for junior doctors.