Doctors’ 3% pay deal ‘simply not good enough’

BMA responds as Scottish health secretary insists rise for some medics fair

A pay deal giving some doctors a 3% wage rise will have very little impact on the challenges facing the profession, medical leaders have warned.

The British Medical Association (BMA) in Scotland was speaking after ministers announced salaried doctors and dentists earning less than £80,000 a year will receive a 3% rise in 2018-19, backdated to April 1 2018.

Independent contractor GPs will also get a 3% rise, compared to the 2% deal south of the border.

But any increase in pay for salaried doctors and dentists earning more than £80,000 will be capped at £1,600 – something BMA Scotland chairman Peter Bennie branded “extremely disappointing”.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman insisted staff were getting “fair pay increases”.

She said: “Scotland’s health service is founded on the incredible contribution of its staff and this agreement recognises the role played by our doctors and dentists.

“This pay increase will be backdated to April 1 – something that is not happening in England. It follows our minimum 9% rise for NHS Agenda for Change employees over the next three years – which will give those 147,000 employees the best pay conditions in the UK.

“By offering fair pay increases we can help to support recruitment and retention of staff, encouraging health professionals to build their careers in Scotland’s NHS.”

But Dr Bennie said the health service was already facing “significant shortages of doctors” because of problems with the recruitment and retention of staff.

He added that “years of below inflation pay rises” meant some doctors had suffered “real terms reductions in pay rates of around 20% over the last 10 years across the profession”.

He added: “It is extremely disappointing and a cause of serious concern that consultants, who lead the frontline delivery of medical care in hospitals, have been singled out for a significantly lower pay award.

“Indeed, apart from junior doctors, all sections of the profession have effectively received an award below the independent recommendations of the pay review body, which is simply not good enough.

“Everything possible should be being done to make doctors feel valued and ensure that working in Scotland is as attractive as possible across all stages of a doctor’s career.”