The BMA has placed several NHS hospital trusts on Santa’s “naughty list”, as they failed to pay hard-working doctors the backpay they were owed in the weeks before Christmas.

These trusts failed to properly sort the November pay round with the backpay from the summer pay deal absent from thousands of pay packets - just as the festive season began. Payments up to £5,000 have been reported as being missing and late, as the BMA raised with trusts last month.

Doctors who have been on maternity leave have been particularly hard hit, often being paid later than their colleagues and some still with no certainty as to when their backpay will finally arrive. Other doctors who left trusts have been forced to chase for their pay or supply the same information repeatedly.

After challenging trusts across England to sort this issue well in advance of Christmas, the BMA’s resident doctors committee (RDC) has named six trusts who stand out in their failure to pay everyone on time.

 

• North West Anglia

• Mid and South Essex

• University Hospitals Sussex

• East Sussex Healthcare

• University Hospitals Dorset

• Surrey and Sussex Healthcare

 

Resident doctors committee (RDC) co-chairs Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt said:

“This should be a festive time of year but these hospitals have made it much less so for their doctors. 

“In this financially constrained season they should be doing everything they can to get doctors their backpay immediately – not just waiting for the next monthly payroll run.

“It is hard enough to financially plan for the holiday season at the best of times, but missing hundreds of pounds from your pay packet makes it much worse – especially if you’ve just returned from maternity leave.

“These hardworking NHS doctors have spent another year caring for their patients in a health service under great strain – they should not have to end it by chasing their hospital for their payslips.

“Trusts have had more than enough time to sort this issue out. Many others have made genuine progress in the last three weeks, leaving these six deservedly on the naughty list.

“Let’s hope these six trusts honour the spirit of the season and make a new years resolution to get late payments to doctors on time in future.”

Notes to editors

The BMA is a professional association and trade union representing and negotiating on behalf of all doctors in the UK. A leading voice advocating for outstanding health care and a healthy population. An association providing members with excellent individual services and support throughout their lives.