New Pay Offer For Junior Doctors

22nd May 2023

Junior doctors across Scotland have been offered a 14.5% pay uplift over the two year period 2022-24, following negotiations with BMA Scotland.

What are junior doctors' pay demands? The BMA is asking for a 35 per cent pay rise. FactCheck understands that this figure was decided because 35 per cent is what would be needed to make up for what the BMA claims is a 26.1 per cent loss in earnings since 2009.

While workload and waiting lists are at record highs, junior doctors' pay has been cut by more than a quarter since 2008.

The offer averaging just over 7% goes nowhere near what is being asked for. The deterioration in pay over the last decade has meant many more doctors have elected to move abroad and training has not kept up with the losses from emigration and early retirements.

This represents a £61.3 million investment in junior doctor pay - the largest in the last 20 years and the best offer in the UK.

If accepted, the new and final offer will be a pay raise of 6.5% in 2023/24, as well as an additional 3% towards an already agreed 4.5% uplift in 2022/23. This amounts to a cumulative increase of 14.5% over two years and matches the recent pay award accepted by nurses and other NHS workers in 2023.

This offer means a doctor at the beginning of their career would receive a total salary increase of £3,834 over two years. For those at the end of their training the rise would be £7,951 over the same period.

Health Secretary Michael Matheson said, "After weeks of intense negotiations I'm delighted our government and BMA Scotland have come to an agreement on pay which they will now put to their members.

"Recognising the incredible work that junior doctors do, we have offered a fair and progressive rise which will mean a pay increase of 14.5% over two years - the best offer on the table in the UK.

"We have taken their concerns regarding pay, and the need to modernise pay bargaining more broadly, extremely seriously. It's now up to junior doctors to reflect on this final offer, and I hope they will accept."

See also https://fullfact.org/health/pay-inflation-mps-junior-doctors/