JUnior doctors deserve a pay rise. Entry requirements are among the most competitive of any profession. Even if the health service wasn’t collapsing, the early days of a medical career would be tough. Caring for the sick and injured is difficult, risky work. In the current climate, with huge waiting lists, labour shortages, a rise in chronic health conditions and buildings in some places not fit for purpose, the job of a doctor can be demanding.
It’s been two years this month since the British Medical Association voted for a pay rise of up to 30 percent over five years. Consultants, like nurses, agreed a deal with the government last year. But trainees, who make up about half of NHS doctors in England, continue to resist. In a further vote in March, 98 percent of 62 percent of votes voted to continue striking for a 35 percent pay rise. The five-day strike that began on Thursday is the 11th. When it ends, it will be 44 days of strikes in total since they first struck in March last year. At least 1.3 million appointments have been cancelled as a result.
The term junior doctor is somewhat misleading: doctors in the UK are “junior” until they have completed two years of basic education, five years of medical school, and up to eight years of specialist training to become consultants. Starting salary: GBP 32,398 That’s roughly the average for college graduates. But the roughly 9% pay increase (based on experience) they received last year wasn’t enough to account for the 26% effective pay cut they’ve taken over the past 14 years. Because most residents are young and less likely to own their homes than older residents, many must contend with rising rents and other cost-of-living pressures that continue to outpace wage growth. Some say they’re putting off having families.
By sticking to their guns, junior doctors have shown that their strike demanding a 35% pay rise need not lose public support. But negotiations with ministers have stalled and achieved little. With no one to negotiate with during the election campaign, Labour’s Wes Streeting has asked the doctors to postpone this week’s strike to avoid further cancellations. By refusing, the doctors have shown their unwillingness to compromise ahead of the next round of negotiations.
They have always demanded gradual price increases. letter A letter sent by junior doctors’ leaders to the Prime Minister last week reiterated this. If Labour wins the election, resolving this dispute will be one of its top priorities. The pressure is strong, given the level of public concern about a health service that has yet to recover from the pandemic. But doctors are not the only public servants seeking improved working conditions. Real wages for teachers and others have fallen, and improving pay for social care workers is a Labour manifesto commitment. Streeting has already said he does not want to set a precedent for other unions to demand significant pay increases, and will hope that the prospect of being able to reset relations with ministers will persuade doctors to soften their demands.
A disgruntled and understaffed workforce is not the only problem facing the NHS, but waiting lists and other issues will be impossible to improve unless staffing improves, and whether or not the next government can negotiate with doctors will surely be a key early test.
