Since the acceptance of the pay award outlined below for the 2023/24 pay year, the Welsh Government has announced its pay award for the 2024/25 pay year, full details can be found in the pay circular here
Following intense negotiations with the Welsh Government, the Welsh consultants committee has reached a pay offer which is beneficial for all consultants and which it recommends you vote to accept. Below you can find further information on all aspects of the pay offer.
New pay scale
The consultant pay scale will be reduced from 14 points (including commitment awards) to 8. The new 8-point pay scale begins at £100,000 and ends at £146,000, frontloading growth in the first 5 years.
The new scale does away with commitment awards, bringing them into the pay scale instead. This means that everyone can access these higher pay values, rather than only those with significant years in post, and they cannot be frozen in the future like has happened for the past few years. Whereas currently only a few dozen consultants have the highest level of commitment award, bringing these awards into basic pay means that everyone will be able to achieve the equivalent value over a shorter timescale. There are no performance reviews required for pay progression.
| New grade | Years within grade | Proposed Scale |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | £100,000 |
| 2 | 1 | £105,000 |
| 3 | 1 | £110,000 |
| 4 | 1 | £115,000 |
| 5 | 5 | £123,000 |
| 6 | 7 | £130,000 |
| 7 | 7 | £138,000 |
| 8 | Top | £146,000 |
The new pay scale frontloads earnings compared to the current one, increasing its value for the career-average pension scheme. It maintains top level earnings at a slightly increased level but expands access to them and underpins the bottom of the scale significantly.
In-year uplifts
The new scale will significantly increase career-long earnings for most consultants as well as providing everyone with some additional in-year uplift. The below table and graph show existing pay points and their new equivalent pay points, as well as the increase seen. Although some pay points only see a small increase now, there are significant increases a year or two later compared with if they progressed on the existing scale.
Consultants will see in-year pay uplifts as much as 10.1% as a result of the deal, on top of significantly increased and guaranteed future earnings (rather than commitment awards which are not subject to pay rises and rely upon you remaining in post for significant periods of time). This is in addition to the 5% already awarded as part of the pay review process.
| Current pay point | Current pay value | New pay point | New pay value | Difference £ | Difference % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min | £94,222 * | 1 | £100,000 | £5,778 | 6.1% |
| 1 | £97,144 * | 2 | £105,000 | £7,856 | 8.1% |
| 2 | £100,029 * | 3 | £110,000 | £9,971 | 10.0% |
| 3 | £105,201 | 4 | £115,000 | £9,799 | 9.3% |
| 4 | £111,682 | 5 | £123,000 | £11,318 | 10.1% |
| 5 | £115,377 | 5 | £123,000 | £7,623 | 6.6% |
| 6 | £119,079 | 5 | £123,000 | £3,921 | 3.3% |
| 6 | £119,079 | 5 | £123,000 | £3,921 | 3.3% |
| 6 | £119,079 | 5 | £123,000 | £3,921 | 3.3% |
| CA1 Y1 | £122,413 | 6 | £130,000 | £7,587 | 6.2% |
| CA1 Y2 | £122,413 | 6 | £130,000 | £7,587 | 6.2% |
| CA1 Y3 | £122,413 | 6 | £130,000 | £7,587 | 6.2% |
| CA2 Y1 | £125,747 | 6 | £130,000 | £4,253 | 3.4% |
| CA2 Y2 | £125,747 | 6 | £130,000 | £4,253 | 3.4% |
| CA2 Y3 | £125,747 | 6 | £130,000 | £4,253 | 3.4% |
| CA3 Y1 | £129,081 | 6 | £130,000 | £919 | 0.7% |
| CA3 Y2 | £129,081 | 7 | £138,000 | £8,919 | 6.9% |
| CA3 Y3 | £129,081 | 7 | £138,000 | £8,919 | 6.9% |
| CA4 Y1 | £132,415 | 7 | £138,000 | £5,585 | 4.2% |
| CA4 Y2 | £132,415 | 7 | £138,000 | £5,585 | 4.2% |
| CA4 Y3 | £132,415 | 7 | £138,000 | £5,585 | 4.2% |
| CA5 Y1 | £135,749 | 7 | £138,000 | £2,251 | 1.7% |
| CA5 Y2 | £135,749 | 7 | £138,000 | £2,251 | 1.7% |
| CA5 Y3 | £135,749 | 8 | £146,000 | £10,251 | 7.6% |
| CA6 Y1 | £139,083 | 8 | £146,000 | £6,917 | 5.0% |
| CA6 Y2 | £139,083 | 8 | £146,000 | £6,917 | 5.0% |
| CA6 Y3 | £139,083 | 8 | £146,000 | £6,917 | 5.0% |
| CA7 Y1 | £142,417 | 8 | £146,000 | £3,583 | 2.5% |
| CA7 Y2 | £142,417 | 8 | £146,000 | £3,583 | 2.5% |
| CA7 Y3 | £142,417 | 8 | £146,000 | £3,583 | 2.5% |
| CA8 Y1 | £145,751 | 8 | £146,000 | £249 | 0.2% |
* includes a non-consolidated recruitment and retention payment of £2,500 paid at points min and 1, and £500 paid for those at point 2.
DDRB reforms
The BMA has longstanding concerns about the effectiveness and independence of the DDRB, the pay review body responsible for reviewing doctors’ pay and recommending annual uplifts. In addition to the reforms secured by our colleagues in the UK consultants committee, we have secured the following reforms to the DDRB process in Wales. These reforms ensure the actions of the Welsh Government keep pace with the wider reforms to the DDRB terms of reference enacted by UK Government.
- Support for all changes to the pay review process agreed as part of the England Consultants pay deal in April 2024.
- To ensure that any remit letter is neutral and solely to start the process and indicate that Wales wants pay recommendations without reference to affordability.
- To agree that recommendations of the DDRB are only rejected rarely and due to a compelling reason.
- To ensure that Welsh Government participate in the review process in a timely manner in accordance with the timelines set out by the DDRB.
- To promptly implement the recommendations of the DDRB upon publication.
Other elements of deal
- We will withdraw the consultant rate card if the offer is accepted. We maintain the right to reintroduce the rate card if a new industrial dispute is declared in the future.
- We will work with Welsh Government and NHS Wales Employers to consider consistent extracontractual rates for consultants in Wales. We will only agree these if we believe they represent a fair deal for members.
- We will work with NHS Wales Employers and Welsh Government on a job planning policy and recruitment template for consultants.
- We will work with Welsh Government and NHS Wales Employers to scope the need for contract reform for consultants.
- The pay scale changes will be back dated to 1 January 2024 and this agreement is in addition to the usual pay award process for 2024/25. If the pay recommendation from the pay review body for 2024/25 is below inflation, Welsh Government has committed to further talks with us regarding pay for this year.
