Oliver Twist: Junior doctors want more despite backing pay deal

Junior doctors in England are clamouring for more, despite agreeing to a pay deal.

Junior doctors in England could be asking for more soon.

Junior doctors have accepted a 22% pay increase, but say they will ask for more in the future.

The British Medical Association (BMA) members voted, with 66% supporting the government’s offer, spread over two years.

Almost 46,000 doctors participated in the vote, ending an 18-month dispute that included 11 strikes. However, the BMA warned that this raise is only the beginning, and more increases above inflation will be needed, or there could be "consequences."

"Campaign not over"

The deal increases the starting salary for a junior doctor from £29,384 in 2022-23 to £36,616 a year in basic pay. Those at the top end of the pay scale earn more than £70,000.

The offer was made by Health Secretary Wes Streeting in late July – just weeks after Labour won the election.

He said he was “pleased” it had been accepted, ending the “most devastating dispute in the health service’s history”.

“This marks the necessary first step in our mission to cut waiting lists, reform the broken health service, and make it fit for the future," Streeting added.

But BMA junior doctor leader Dr Vivek Trivedi warned the deal had only started "to turn the tide on pay cuts".

He described it as a "compromise" - the BMA had been after a 35% pay rise to make up for what it says are 15 years of below-inflation pay awards.

He said in future years the expectation was that pay would continue going up above inflation - and if that did not happen the government needed to be “prepared for consequences”.

"It does mark the start of the journey, but the journey is not over."