NHS consultants finally accept pay rise to end hospital strikes after year of disruption – but junior docs still at war
SENIOR doctor strikes are over after they voted to accept ministers' pay deal.
The new contract will see NHS consultants pay start at £99,000 rather than £94,000 and top out at £132,000 instead of £126,000.
Some 83 per cent of British Medical Association medics voted in favour of the offer, which will be applied in the coming months and backdated to March.
A BMA spokesperson said: “Today we can announce that the latest Government offer on pay and DDRB reform for consultants in England has been accepted.
"Consultants have shown they are not afraid to act when they need to, and ministers, present or future, should be warned that we expect to be treated fairly.
“We’re committed to fixing pay now and for the future.”
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It leaves junior doctors isolated as the only medics still embroiled in a pay row with Whitehall.
Dr Vishal Sharma, BMA consultants committee chair, said: "The last year has seen consultants take unprecedented strike action in our fight to address our concerns about pay.
"We’ve reached this point not just through our tough negotiations with the Government, but thanks to the resolve of consultants.
"We took the difficult decision to strike, and did so safely and effectively, on multiple occasions, sending a clear message that they would not back down."
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