Following the first meeting of the new session (2022-2025), BMA Cymru Wales Junior doctor committee voted in favour of recalibrating its pay strategy to strive for full pay restoration in line with colleagues across the UK.

Speaking on behalf of the Welsh Junior Doctors Committee (WJDC), acting co-chairs Dr Milan Makwana and Dr Jerome Ling said:

“The committee has voted by an overwhelming majority to align with the BMA’s UK position established at the 2022 Annual Representative Meeting, to achieve pay restoration to 2007 value for its members within the next five years or sooner and to evidence its progress against this aim at every ARM until restoration is achieved.

“The message we’re hearing loud and clear from our members is that they’re burnt out and either leaving the NHS or considering leaving. In the latest survey conducted by BMA Cymru Wales, over half of respondents said they are likely to leave the Welsh NHS because of the latest below-inflation pay uplift of just 4.5%.

“Junior doctors continue to be overworked, underpaid, and undervalued and while we’re working hard to deliver the best for our patients, we’re continuing to work in conditions that are not only demoralising but unsafe for patients.

“Years of sub-inflationary pay adjustments mean that since 2008, junior doctors have seen their pay cut by 26.1% in real terms *

“We have spent the last three years working through the biggest health emergency in modern history, and we’ve reached breaking point.

“Whilst patient waiting lists are at record high levels the NHS is experiencing a workforce crisis affecting healthcare colleagues across the board, we can’t continue to work on goodwill alone and doctors leaving the profession due to pay erosion will only deepen this crisis.

“We need to see a robust plan from policy makers and NHS employers to attract and retain more staff including competitive pay and safer working conditions.

“Full pay restoration is what we expect and what we deserve, and we will work hard to achieve this as soon as possible. We would therefore urge junior doctors across Wales to unite, sign up to the BMA and help us to fight for a better deal”

Notes to editors

• The BMA’s calculations show that pay awards for junior doctors in Wales from 2008/09 to 2021/22 have delivered real terms (RPI) pay cut of 26.1%.