Key points at a glance

Pay for 2023/24

• The Department of Health will uplift the 2023/24 pay scales for resident doctors and dentists in training by an additional 4.05%.
• This means that the 2023/24 pay scales will be on average 13.6% higher than in 2022/23
• The effective date for these changes will be 1 April 2023 with arrears payable from that date.

Contract reform

All parties have agreed to establish a timetable for contract reform discussions.

Measures to improve experience of medical education: SGEQME Report

The BMA NI Resident Doctors’ Committee, the Department of Health, the Single Lead Employer (NIMDTA) and Host Organizations (HSC Trusts), have agreed to work together to ensure that the recommendations contained in the report of SGEQME - Doctors in Training - Enhancing the Quality of Medical Education in NI are implemented and a structure and timeframes for monitoring the implementation process be established. These recommendations are outlined below:

• HSC employers mandate SDT of an initial one hour per week (which could be combined into one afternoon per month) as the first step to reach, over time, an ultimate objective that would mark out HSC as an exemplar of good practice across the UK; for example, 20% per week;
• Local Education Providers (LEPs) commit to “fair and timely rota design” for doctors in training;
• LEPs to commit to work to improve the provision of rest and on-call facilities for doctors in training;
• DoH initiates discussion with NIMDTA and HSC Trusts to a trial of over-recruitment into a medical specialty training programme;
• NIMDTA will actively support Less than Full Time Training (LTFT) as an option across all NIMDTA medical training programmes;
• DoH to facilitate the development a of transparent methodology for the review of the current distribution of medical training posts across Northern Ireland and how these align to service delivery. To include a review into rotational training;
• NIMDTA continues to lead work on supporting the cohort of SAS Doctors;
• LEPs provide the opportunity of two-week job shadowing for doctors in training who have required a Certificate of Sponsorship to join the HSC.

Current and proposed new pay scale

Resident Doctor current and proposed pay

Resident doctors pay restoration

The two pay erosion charts show the different % increases for each grade, due to the uplifts awarded that year.

From 2022/23 to 2023/24 the range of uplifts were from 8.2% to 10.7% and due to the 23/24 DDRB uplift of (6% + £1,000) there’s a range of 9.25% to 7.59% from the 2023/24 uplift payscale to the 2024/25 DDRB payscale.

Therefore, chart one uses the lowest possible pay uplifts in 23/24 and 24/25 which results in a final 20.3% pay erosion amount and chart two uses the highest possible uplifts which results in a final 17.3% pay erosion amount.

How we got here

Like all doctors across the UK, Resident Doctors in Northern Ireland have experienced unacceptable pay erosion since 2008. We are committed to fully restoring the pay of the profession to at least this level. Learn more about our campaign.

Your questions answered

Will the pay uplift apply to my banding supplements as well as basic pay?

Yes, as the contractual banding supplements are applied as a multiplier of your basic salary, then any change in the basic salary must trigger a change in your banding payments as well.

When will I receive the uplift?

The effective date for these changes will be 1 April 2023 with arrears payable from that date. Now the offer has been accepted in the referendum, the Department of Health will begin the process of applying the uplift. This process requires a number of stages and can be lengthier. The Department have committed to applying the uplift no later than five months after the deal is accepted. We will push for it to be paid more quickly, if at all possible.

Is the aim still for full pay restoration?

BMA Northern Ireland is committed to fully addressing the erosion of resident doctor pay by achieving full pay restoration. This additional increase achieved for 23/24 along with the implementation of the DDRB recommendation for 24/25 has already begun to reverse the trend of pay erosion.

How does NI deal compare to rest of the UK?

For 23/24

Wales -The first offer to resident doctors for the 2023/24 pay year was an uplift of 5%. After 3 rounds of IA, an improved pay offer was then received of an extra 7.4% uplift for all resident doctors pay points, bringing the pay award for 2023/24 to 12.4%.

Scotland - The agreement in Scotland was also for a 12.4% pay increase for resident doctors.

England - The Government invested an average of a further 4.05% into 2023-24 pay scales for resident doctors. This means that the 2023-24 pay scales are on average 13.2% higher than in 2022-23.  This extra 4.05% was in addition to the 23/24 DDRB recommendation of 6% + £1250.

Northern Ireland – The extra 4.05% on top of the 6% + £1250 DDRB recommendation already received for 23/24, represents a total average uplift of 13.15% for RDs in Northern Ireland.

For 24/25

Wales, England and Northern Ireland will receive the DDRB recommended uplift of 6% + £1000 (this equates to between 7.59% and 9.25% depending on grade).

Scotland will receive a cumulative pay uplift of 11% for the financial year 2024/25 (An initial uplift of 8.5% from 01 April 2024; a further uplift of 2.3% from 01 October 2024).

What contract reforms are the BMA/DOH proposing / considering now the pay-deal has been accepted?

BMA will not be proposing/considering any contract reforms without engaging extensively with resident doctors in NI on what they want to see in a new contract.  The agreement made as part of this pay deal was to begin this process.