Pay rises of at least 4.5% are needed next April to maintain the number of NHS doctors, the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned.
In its evidence to the doctors’ and dentists’ pay review body, the BMA said the increase was needed to give consultants and GPs parity with senior professionals outside the NHS.
It would also compensate junior doctors for the increased cost of training and reduced job security.
BMA chair Jim Johnson said: “Doctors spend years in training and have vast responsibility and workload – it is only right that they should aspire to earning salaries that reflect this.”
NHS Employers, the body responsible for pay rates across the service, recently said a 2.5% pay rise for all staff was the most health service finances could cope with.
