Junior doctors offered 22% pay rise by government to end strike action | Politics News

The government has offered junior doctors a 22.3% pay rise to end strike action.

The British Medical Association’s (BMA) junior doctors committee has agreed to put the offer to its members, and if it is accepted it will end months of walkouts over pay.

The pay rise offer will take place over two years, according to The Times.

It constitutes a pay rise of between 8.1% and 10.3% as well as a backdated 4.05% increase for 2023-24.

That is on top of a 6% pay rise for 2024-2025, topped up by a £1,000 payment – an equivalent to a pay rise of between 7% and 9%.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will announce the pay rises this afternoon when she makes a major speech about spending cuts to plug what she says is a “£20bn black hole” inherited from the Conservative government.

Junior doctors had been pushing for a 35% pay rise to make up for what they say is 15 years of below inflation salary increases.

They last went on strike on the day of the election, on 4 July, after independent arbitration they had agreed would take place in May was scrapped when the election was called.

Last year, the BMA walked out of talks with the Conservative government in which an extra 3% pay rise on top of an average 9% increase for 2022-23 was discussed.

Junior doctors are any doctor below consultant level, and make up nearly half of the NHS’ medical workforce so strike days have caused major disruption.

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