Jessica O'ConnorThe British Medical Association (BMA) is set to launch indicative ballots of senior doctors in England regarding their recent pay offer from the Government.
Following last month’s announcement of a 4% pay uplift, the BMA’s consultants committee and SAS (specialist, associate specialist and specialty doctors) committee both entered dispute with the Government and wrote to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care calling for him to meet for negotiations.
With no reply from the Secretary of State, the BMA said it will launch indicative ballots of consultants – including those from public health and medical academia – and SAS members on 21st July, asking whether they are willing to take industrial action.
The ballots will close on 1st September.
BMA consultants committee co-chairs Dr Helen Neary and Dr Shanu Datta said: “Last month’s offer was an insult to senior doctors and undoes so much of the progress made last year.
“The 4% was below April’s RPI inflation, let alone anywhere close to making a dent in the huge pay cuts consultants have experienced over the last 17 years.
“Without restoring consultants’ value we will continue to drive our most experienced clinical leaders and academics away – in many cases to better pay and conditions overseas – when patients and the public need them most.
“These are our most senior and skilled doctors responsible not just for running services, but leading health protection and prevention, innovation and research and training the medical workforce of the future.”
They added: “Meanwhile, it was doubly disappointing to see our pay review body, the DDRB, still hamstrung by ministers, despite assurances made as part of an agreement last year.
“We’ve been clear to the Government that we’re ready to get around the table and to secure a better outcome for doctors, patients and the public, but with no response, we have no choice but to prepare for the possibility of further action.
“Our resident colleagues have already launched their ballot, to which we offer them our fully-fledged support. We ask the Government whether it can really risk having several groups of doctors on picket lines together later this year.
“MPs have just over a month before recess and therefore the Government has a window of opportunity to begin negotiations. If they continue to ignore us, our members will be forced to draw their own conclusions and vote accordingly, with the result of the indicative ballot at the top of MPs’ in-trays as soon as they return.”
Dr Ujjwala Mohite, BMA SAS committee chair, said: “SAS doctors are the backbone and unsung heroes of the NHS, yet this year’s pay ‘award’ once again completely disregards the value we offer to patients and the health service.
“Even with the uplift, SAS pay will be down by almost a quarter in real terms compared to 2008. We are certainly not working a quarter less than we were 16 years ago.
“We’ve pressed the Government on the importance of reversing this lack of recognition, but we must prepare our members for action if we continue to see no progress. Otherwise, more and more SAS doctors will begin questioning why they should stay working in the NHS.
“SAS doctors managed to avoid having to join picket lines during recent years’ consultants’ and resident doctors’ action, and we hope they will not have to this time. The ball is in the Government’s court.”
