Junior doctors ‘aren’t the only ones suffering from inflation’
Medics urged to take pay deal
DOCTORS should take the same approach “as everybody else” and not chase huge pay rises, to help with soaring prices, a minister has insisted.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said inflation is “impacting all of us” and urged the British Medical Association to drop demands for a 35 per cent increase.
It comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said there will be “no more talks” after the Government accepted the independent pay awards body recommendation of a six per cent rise.
Ms Keegan reiterated this was the “final” offer and added: “We all understand there’s been a huge spike in inflation.And that’s impacting all of us.
“That’s why the main goal is to halve inflation.You can’t chase it.
“I would urge them to take the same approach as everybody else.”
Downing Street again appealed to junior doctors and consultants to consider “whether it is appropriate” for the BMA to “keep disrupting patient care in the way they are doing”.
The PM’s official spokesman said: “Consultants, of course, are some of the best-paid public sector workers and
‘We are happy to discuss wider working issues but there’ll be no further pay talks’
indeed public or private sector workers. So it is for them to consider whether it is appropriate.
“Our position is clear: we accepted the independently-decided recommendation of the pay review body.
“We are more than happy to talk about wider workforce issues but we won’t be having further talks on pay.”
Mr Sunak’s spokesman said junior doctors were being offered “one of the biggest pay increases across the whole public sector” and that the lowest paid in their ranks were being offered a 10.3 per cent uplift as part of the package.
The No10 official added: “And that is on top of their pension contributions, which are far and above those in the private sector.”
Ms Keegan also told junior doctors they are not “exceptional in having inflationary pressures”.
Senior BMA figures warned the likelihood of further strikes is “very high”.
The Government is offering an additional consolidated £1,250 increase to junior doctors, who are in the middle of a five-day strike until 7am on Tuesday.
Hospital consultants, who are set to walk out in England next week, have also been offered a six per cent rise.
The current level of CPI inflation is running at 8.7 per cent and Mr Sunak, who has promised to cut it to around 5.3 per cent by the end of the year, wants to avoid pay increases that could fuel a wage-price spiral.
With no new borrowing to fund the deals, the PM said government departments will “reprioritise” spending – raising fears of cuts across public services. No10 also dismissed claims a six per cent pay rise for doctors would be unfair on NHS staff who accepted a five per cent rise in May. Downing Street said nurses on the Agenda for Change contracts were seeing uplifts that went beyond the five per cent headline figure. Treasury minister John Glen told MPs the deal was worth more than £3,600 for the average nurse or more than £3,700 for an ambulance worker.