Junior doctors in England will vote on whether to take industrial action next year. The ballot on whether to strike will open on January 9, 2023, according to the British Medical Association (BMA).
The BMA said that “all options are on the table” when it came to the ballot. It said that over the last 15 years junior doctors’ take-home pay has been cut, in real terms, by more than a quarter.
“This year’s pay announcement has significantly eroded morale, with the Government giving junior doctors a 2% pay uplift, which amounts to a 10% real terms pay cut, failing to recognise both their significant contributions during the pandemic and the impact of soaring inflation,” said a statement.
The BMA said it was deeply concerned that ongoing pay erosion will continue to drive doctors out of the profession, leading to a “vicious cycle of dwindling staff numbers and worsening patient care”.
Dr Emma Runswick, deputy chair of the BMA Council, said: “This is a defining moment for the medical profession which stands united behind today’s junior doctors in calling for pay restoration and fair working conditions. Doctors will stop at nothing to protect their patients.
"Years of pay erosion has left the NHS dangerously understaffed, putting the safety of our patients at risk, and yet still this Government refuses to listen. Morale is sinking and without restoring pay the Government risks driving this country’s junior doctors from the NHS to better paid jobs at home or abroad.
“Membership of the BMA is now at the highest level it has ever been, showing that there is a groundswell of support for the aims of pay restoration. We urge the Secretary of State to talk with us as a matter of urgency.”
Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairs of the BMA junior doctors committee, said: “Today’s junior doctors are not worth any less than they were in 2008/9, let alone 26% less; but that is how much our pay has fallen on the Government’s watch. We are the consultants, SAS doctors and GPs of the future and yet every day that future looks starker as our colleagues leave the NHS to better paid jobs at home and abroad.
“Junior doctors put their lives at risk to care for patients during the pandemic and must now take action to protect our patients from greater harm resulting from relentless staff shortages. The Government still has an opportunity to meet with us and negotiate a fair settlement – but if it continues to refuse to do so then this Government is failing doctors and patients alike.
“We urge all our members to vote yes in this ballot for change.”
