PRESS RELEASE : Unions will recommend new offer to NHS consultants [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 5 March 2024.

The British Medical Association (BMA) and Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) will put the offer forward for a vote in the coming weeks.

• The BMA and HCSA will put the consultants offer forward for a vote in the coming weeks
• Offer invests in modernising the consultants’ pay structure – reducing the number of pay points and the time it takes to reach the top
• The offer will also deliver reform to reflect modern ways of working, such as enhanced shared parental leave

The government and unions representing consultant doctors in England have reached an agreement to put a revised offer to union members following constructive negotiations.

The BMA and HCSA will recommend the offer to their members and put it forward for a vote in the coming weeks.

Constructive talks between the government and the unions were reopened last month and all parties negotiated in good faith after the initial offer was narrowly rejected. This revised offer represents a good deal for doctors, a good deal for patients and a good deal for taxpayers – it will improve equalities by mitigating the gender pay gap and deliver much needed reform.

The government’s position remains that the headline pay uplift for 2023 to 2024 was settled through the pay review body process. This updated offer adds further clarity and specificity to the original one, as well as addressing some of the concerns that consultants have raised. For example, it continues to invest in modernising the consultants’ pay structure – reducing the number of pay points and the time it takes to reach the top.

It also provides greater clarity on the pay progression arrangements, more details on reform of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) to ensure unions have confidence in the process, and a consolidated uplift for those in years 4 to 7 of the contract.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

Ending strike action in the NHS is vital if we want to cut waiting lists and make sure patients are getting the care they deserve.

This improved offer demonstrates that we are seeking a fair agreement that is good for consultants, good for patients and good for the taxpayer.

Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said:

I hugely value the work of NHS consultants and am glad that unions are recommending this revised offer to their members – they clearly recognise the various benefits it offers.

If accepted, it will modernise pay structures – directly addressing gender pay issues in the NHS – and enhance consultants’ parental leave options.

It paves the way to ending industrial action by consultants following many weeks of constructive dialogue and represents a good offer for consultants, patients and the taxpayer.

The core contract for consultants has not been updated for 20 years and this offer will deliver reform to reflect modern ways of working, such as enhanced shared parental leave, in line with other NHS staff.

The pay scale reforms will also help mitigate the gender pay gap by delivering a key recommendation made by Professor Dame Jane Dacre in her review on the gender pay gap in medicine.

To enable these reforms, unions have agreed to end Local Clinical Excellence Awards (LCEAs) going forward – an employer-level bonus scheme – which have been seen to contribute to pay inequalities.

No strike action for consultants will be called by the BMA consultant and HCSA executive committees while members are being consulted. The BMA has also agreed to end the use of its rate card – which advises doctors on how much to charge for non-contractual work, including cover during strikes.

Moving forward, the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan will support the NHS to address existing vacancies and meet the challenges of a growing and ageing population by training, recruiting and retaining hundreds of thousands more staff over the next 15 years – backed by more than £2.4 billion in government investment.

The government has listened carefully to the concerns of consultants and their representatives – particularly around retention, motivation and morale. This offer has been carefully balanced to meet those concerns but also to ensure value for the taxpayer. If accepted, it will come into effect from 1 March 2024.