Hospital doctors in England have rejected the government’s latest pay offer, citing issues with the amount of time they will be given to develop their skills and concerns with the distribution of the proposed award across the pay scale.
Fifty-eight per cent of members of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) who voted rejected the offer.
It was reported in November that under the proposed deal a minority of consultants would have received no extra pay, while others would receive as much as 12.8% extra.
Hospital doctors pay offer
HCSA members raised concerns about a proposed reduction in supporting professional activities (SPA) time, which is earmarked for consultants to carry out training, teaching, service development and research.
Under the deal, many senior doctors’ SPA allocation would be converted into direct clinical care time in order to fill gaps in rotas.
They also cited concerns with the overall level of investment and how the pay would be spread across the pay spine.
HCSA president Dr Naru Narayanan said: “We have listened to our members and the prospect of changes to SPA time in this offer rang clear alarm bells. They are deeply concerned that the time they need to develop their skills and impart knowledge to trainees has already been eroded beyond a sustainable level. They know first-hand the constant pressure they face from managers to reduce it still further.
“But there were also concerns around the 3.45 percent investment on the table given consultants’ pay has been eroded by around a third since 2008/9. Targeting this at specific pay points meant many consultants would have missed out on an uplift this year.
“The government needs to revisit the investment it is willing to make in our most experienced doctors. This result is a wake-up call. We have observed the prime minister’s repeated suggestion that the senior doctors’ pay dispute had been resolved, but the result today shows there is no room for complacency given low morale and years of underinvestment in staffing.”
The union has written to health secretary Victoria Atkins, urging her to address consultants’ concerns and press for greater financial investment.
The letter also states that the suggested reforms of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration, which makes independent recommendations on pay, did not go far enough to allay members’ concerns.
Consultants who are members of the larger union, the British Medical Association, are also being balloted on the package, but the result will not be known until the vote closes on 23 January.
Last week, the BMA responded to the Rishi Sunak’s claim during Prime Minister’s Question that consultants and SAS doctors had “reached a fair and reasonable pay settlement with the government”.
Dr Emma Runswick, BMA deputy council chair, said: “The government has not reached a deal with consultants or specialty doctors. Offers presented in negotiations with the BMA are being voted on by both consultants and SAS doctors – of which specialty doctors represent just one group – and then we will decide whether these offers are acceptable and are enough to bring an end to both disputes. Nothing has been decided yet.
“Some might suggest this is a cynical ploy by the Prime Minister to split the profession, and undermine and isolate junior doctors, who, despite their willingness to negotiate, are yet to receive a credible offer from the government. This is not the first time the PM has made this claim, and having now done so in Parliament, he must urgently correct the record.”
Both the BMA and the HCSA’s strike mandates for consultants run until June 2024.
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