Junior doctors in Wales have voted to strike as the UK government and the British Medical Association (BMA) agree a pay deal for specialist doctors.
The junior doctors, who are members of the BMA, will go on strike for 72 hours from 15 January. Ninety-eight per cent voted for industrial action on a turnout of 65%.
They have rejected the 5% pay increase that was put to them earlier this year.
Junior doctors in England are due to take strike action from 20-23 December and 3-9 January after five weeks of talks failed.
Dr Oba Babs-Osibodu and Dr Peter Fahey co-chairs of BMA Cymru Wales’ junior doctors committee said: “Our members have been forced to take this difficult decision because Junior doctors in Wales have experienced a pay cut of 29.6 per cent in real terms over the last 15 years.
“We aren’t asking for a pay rise – we are asking for our pay to be restored in line with inflation back to 2008 levels, when we began to receive pay cuts in real terms. Pay needs to be fair and competitive with other healthcare systems across the world to retain and recruit doctors and NHS staff to provide much-needed care.
“On top of this junior doctors are experiencing worsening conditions and so doctors are now looking to leave Wales to develop their careers for better pay and a better quality of life elsewhere.”
Meanwhile, the BMA has struck a deal with the government that proposes changes to pay scales for specialist, associate specialist and specialty (SAS) doctors employed on 2021 SAS contracts, with an additional uplift of between 6.10% and 9.22% depending on where they sit on the scale.
The deal will be put to BMA members in the New Year.
If accepted, the pay rise would be implemented from January 2024, and would be made in addition to the uplift doctors in this group already received as part of the 2023/24 pay review process.
Additionally, the offer includes £5 million to support employers in creating more specialist doctor roles, offering more career progression opportunities, and a commitment from the government, NHS England and NHS Employers to work with the BMA to determine how locally employed doctors can be better supported to progress.
The SAS pay deal was struck as the BMA announced it had secured a historic mandate for strike action among members in the group, should they reject the proposals. Some 93.76% agreed they were prepared to take part in strike action on a turnout of 52.79%.
Dr Ujjwala Mohite, chair of the SAS UK committee at the BMA, said: “Today signifies the immense progress that SAS doctors have been able to make in their fight to restore our members’ value. Not only have we achieved an impressive mandate for strike action, but the government has also, after long negotiations, finally put a credible offer on the table.
“Of course, we don’t ever want to have to take strike action, which is why we’re delighted to see an offer that, we feel, is deserving of our members’ consideration. But make no mistake: if our members don’t think that this offer reflects their worth, then we won’t hesitate in returning to the government to renegotiate and, if it comes to it, move forward with industrial action.”
Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, said: “This is another very positive step forward in resolving the pay disputes that have caused such disruption to NHS services and patients over the last 12 months.
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“SAS doctors are an essential part of the NHS team and this offer makes clear the value of the new contract offered in recent years to SAS doctors. As with the recent offer to consultants in England, NHS leaders will hope that BMA members are able to respond positively to the government’s offer.”
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