The Junior Doctors Conference of the BMA today voted to campaign for full restoration of the pay erosion they have seen in the last decade. The estimated take-home pay for the average junior doctor in England has declined by 22.4 per cent in real terms between 2008/9 and 2020/21.

At today’s BMA Junior Doctors Conference there were motions critical of an array of financial challenges including doctors having to pay for their own mandatory postgraduate education, excessive membership and exam fees, pay erosion and the continued weight of student debt.

Co-Chairs of the Junior Doctors Committee Drs Mike Kemp and Sarah Hallett said:

“A junior doctor is not worth a quarter less today than they were in 2008, and yet this is the amount of pay erosion that we are facing.

“We have put this government on notice, and we will not be ignored any longer. History repeating itself with a dispute between junior doctors and the UK government can yet be avoided. But the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care needs to meet with us, to listen to the deep concerns of junior doctors, and to act.

“Throughout the pandemic we made daily sacrifices and we continue to do so. We are tired and undervalued and far too often, we are traumatised by our own places of work. This cannot go on. It is time we are listened to and fairly paid for the work we do."

Ends

Notes to editors

• Junior doctors in England are guaranteed at least a 2% pay rise in 22/23, as part of the multiple-year pay deal agreed in 2019.
• While this agreement has ensured junior doctors have been guaranteed an uplift every year, these uplifts have been insufficient to compensate for sub-inflationary pay rises, and frequent pay freezes, in the years that preceded this.
• The estimated take-home pay for the average junior doctors in England declined by 22.4% in real terms (RPI1) between 2008/09 and 2020/2021, taking into account estimated tax and pension contribution changes.
• In a BMA survey of 6000 junior doctors in August 2021 96.6% felt the uplift was either completely unacceptable (63.8%) or inadequate (32.8%).
• 93.5% felt their morale had decreased as a result of being excluded from the uplift
• 90.7% felt the Government didn’t value their work.
• The fair pay for junior doctors campaign can be found on the BMA website, including further information, webinars and resources for campaigners.