LONDON (Reuters) – Junior doctors in England have reached an improved pay deal with the British government, which could result in their earnings rising by about 20% over two years, the Times newspaper reported on Monday.
Junior doctors have staged a series of strikes since early 2023 over demands for better pay, including the longest walkout in the 75-year history of the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) in January.
The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents around 50,000 junior doctors, has been seeking a 35% pay rise, which it says is necessary to cover the impact of inflation over several years.
Britain’s previous, Conservative government held several rounds of talks with the BMA, but failed to reach a breakthrough in pay negotiations and end the strikes.
The Times said the BMA’s junior doctors committee had recommended an offer to its members, which would include a backdated pay rise of 4.05% for 2023-24, on top of an existing 8.8%-10.3% increase.
For 2024-25, they will receive a further rise of 6%, topped up by a consolidated 1,000 pounds ($1,285) payment, with the overall package over two years representing a 20% rise, the report said.
Asked about the report, a spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “We’ve said that we want to work constructively to bring these strikes to an end … we’re committed to finding a solution and resolving this dispute.”
Strikes have heaped more pressure on an already overburdened NHS, leading to thousands of cancelled appointments and procedures. A list of patients waiting to begin hospital treatment has ballooned to more than 7 million cases.
($1 = 0.7785 pounds)
(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar and Kylie MacLellan, Editing by Paul Sandle)
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