The BMA has today (26 November 2024) entered a formal dispute with Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust over cuts to doctors’ pay for work they do over and above their working week. The new pay rates were announced with just one weeks’ notice. Pay for some doctors’ extra contractual work has been cut by as much as 16%.
Doctors at the Trust, who are members of the BMA, say that wards and departments are barely staffed as it is, and not paying doctors fairly to work extra evenings and weekends to fill rota gaps will put even more strain on the system. Doctors at Mid and South Essex NHS FT already work for lower rates than doctors at many other trusts in the region.
Starting December 1st, doctors at the trust have been advised to not work outside their contracted hours for the reduced rates. They are calling for the trust to withdraw the rates and negotiate with the BMA local negotiating committees (LNCs).
This comes following a similar dispute at University Hospital Birmingham NHS FT earlier this month; UHB agreed to lift their imposed cut to extra-contractual rates, and are now negotiating with the BMA.
The proposed rates were announced on the 4th November, and took effect on the 11th. The BMA has urged the Trust to reconsider, to no avail.
Dr Fia Muratib, Deputy chair of the BMA regional resident doctors committee and LNC rep from one of the affected hospitals said:
“Cutting waiting lists relies on doctors who are willing to take on extra work on top of their contracted hours. We know that as of September 2024 there were 166,315 people on the waiting list to start treatment at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust[1]. It’s incomprehensible that the trust would now slash pay for this vital work.
“By lowering the rates for these shifts, the Trust is gambling that doctors will do the same work for less. If they’re wrong this will lead to understaffed wards, burned out doctors, and increased risk to patient safety. We urge Mid and South Essex NHS FT to withdraw their reduced rates as a matter of urgency and to enter into negotiations with their LNC.”
Notes to editors
1] https://www.patientlibrary.net/cgi-bin/library.cgi?page=WaitingLists
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