UK Senior doctors accept new pay offer, ending year-long dispute with Govt

London: Senior doctors in England have reached a significant milestone in their yearlong dispute with the British government as they accept a pay offer, signaling an end to unprecedented strike action that has strained the National Health Service (NHS).

The British Medical Association (BMA) and the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association, representing the senior doctors, announced on Friday that 83 percent of those who cast a vote supported the offer. 

Under the terms of the agreement, consultants with four to seven years of experience will receive a 2.85 percent pay increase. Furthermore, the deal addresses gender pay disparities within the NHS and introduces improved parental leave options. 

According to a PTI report, Dr Vishal Sharma, who chairs the BMA consultants committee, said the fight was “not yet over” and that there is “some way to go” before pay gets back to equivalent levels 15 years ago. The relative decline in pay for consultants has, he said, led to an exodus of senior doctors abroad.

Meanwhile, junior doctors, crucial to hospital and clinical care, continue to be embroiled in dispute with the government. Their strikes have resulted in senior colleagues being called in to cover essential services during the industrial action.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said leaders in the health service will “breathe a sigh of relief” that consultants have settled but urged the government and junior doctors to come to an agreement.

“The potential for further junior doctor strikes looms large, which could lead to more operations and appointments being cancelled and place more pressure on already stretched services," he said.

NHS data reveals that over the past year, more than 1.4 million appointments and operations have been canceled due to industrial action, exacerbating waiting lists and adding pressure to healthcare services.

The ongoing disputes within the NHS reflect broader concerns about pay disparities and rising living costs across various sectors in Britain. While some groups, such as nurses and ambulance crews, have reached agreements with the government, negotiations with junior doctors reached an impasse late last year.

On Friday, for example, much of England had no train services because of a fresh strike by drivers in their own long-running pay dispute.

Many groups within the NHS, such as nurses and ambulance crews, have reached pay deals with the government, but the union representing junior doctors has held out, and negotiations broke down late last year, news agency PTI reported.

Britain's Conservative government has sought to put the blame for many of the problems in the NHS on the junior doctors, while the main opposition Labour Party, which is way ahead in opinion polls ahead of a general election, points the finger at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for personally blocking progress.

Sunak said the end of the consultants' strike is “excellent news for patients.”

Senior Doctors in England Accept UK Government's Pay Offer, Ending Yearlong Dispute