Doctors’ union rebuked for barista pay claim

AN ADVERT by the BMA claiming that Pret baristas earn more than junior doctors has been branded “misleading” as it emerged the basic salary for coffee makers is 8 to 20 per cent less.

Ahead of a three-day strike starting today, junior doctors’ leaders started an advertising campaign arguing they could earn more serving coffee. The BMA said newly qualified medics earn £14.09 an hour – less than Pret baristas, who are on £14.10.

Dr Becky Bates, a junior doctor in the Midlands, said: “Thanks to this Government you can make more serving coffee than saving patients. This week junior doctors will take strike action so they are paid what they are worth.”

But pay figures released by Pret this month show barista pay is between £11.20 and £12.85 an hour, depending on location and experience.

Very experienced baristas can only earn a maximum of £14.10 as a bonus if their shop is rated exceptional by a mystery shopper.

The Government said the figures were misleading and pointed out that hourly wages were difficult to compare because junior doctors work considerably longer hours than Pret staff, and get significant extra payments for overtime, weekends and unsocial hours.

Fo r e x a mple , shifts between midnight and 4am are paid an additional 37 per cent of the hourly basic rate.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “This comparison is misleadi ng as it does not t ake account of the additional earning capacity and pay progression available to junior doctors. The most experienced junior doctors now have a higher pay band – meaning they received a cumulative increase of 24 per cent over four years.

“We’ve also i ncreased rates for night shifts and created a £1,000 allowance a year for junior doctors who work less than full time.”

The Government said meeting the BMA’S demands would require an average pay increase of around 35 per cent, which would cost an extra £2 billion – or 1.3 per cent of the total NHS budget.

But the BMA said junior doctors have suffered a 26 per cent real-terms cut to their pay since 2008-09. The union said it was standing by its advert, arguing that Pret had recognised the need for its staff to earn a good wage.

Dr Bates added: “I thought by being a doctor I would achieve financial independence, but instead I am completely dependent on others.”

sir – On the highest salary banding as a senior surgical registrar with 14 years of training, my pay rate, excluding the extra for on-call work out of hours, is £16 per hour. A relative working in a clothes shop on Saturday afternoons with about a day’s worth of training was on £12 per hour.

In reality, our rate is less than this because of the many extra hours we do without claiming for the excess time we give to the NHS.

When I left my career as a chartered accountant to join the NHS, I did so without any expectation of becoming a millionaire, but I did expect to be paid an amount of money commensurate with the amount of time it takes to acquire the highly particular skill set required to become a consultant surgeon.

While I personally will not be striking, I do support those who look at the above and have decided it just isn’t worth the huge amount of time and effort it takes to get there, unless there is a significant rebalancing in how much they are paid to do this extremely challenging (and often rewarding) job.

Simon Davey FRCS

Bristol

sir – There is a solution to the junior doctors’ strike that should satisfy all parties. Winding back on draconian hours regulations would cost the health service nothing, while permitting doctors to earn more.

It might also be expected to improve training, reduce the need to expand medical schools and improve care.

Simon Thomson FRCS

Leeds, West Yorkshire

sir – I was most disappointed when I received a text from my GP surgery advising me that the appointment capacity will be reduced, as the practice is a training practice and junior doctors form an essential part of the team.

The text message went on to state: “We fully support their action.” What happened to “first do no harm”?

B J King

Eastbourne, East Sussex