UK Junior Doctors Reach Pay Deal for 22% Rise Over Two Years

LONDON (Reuters) -A trade union representing junior doctors in England has reached an improved deal with the British government for a 22.3% average pay rise over two years, a source familiar with the matter said, paving the way for an end to months of disruptive strikes.

The breakthrough follows a series of strikes by junior doctors since early 2023 over demands for better pay, including the longest walkout in the 75-year history of the state-funded National Health Service in January.

The issue has exemplified Britain’s labour unrest over the last two years as high inflation and a cost-of-living crisis spurred demands for better pay across a wide range of sectors, with strikes by junior doctors proving to be among the most disruptive.

Junior doctors are qualified physicians, often with several years of experience, who work under the guidance of senior doctors and make up a large share of the medical community.

The British Medical Association, which represents around 50,000 junior doctors, has been seeking a 35% pay rise, which it says is necessary to cover the impact of inflation over several years.

Britain’s previous, Conservative government held several rounds of talks with the BMA, but failed to reach a breakthrough in pay negotiations and end the strikes.

A spokesman for Britain’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, did not confirm reports of a pay deal but said: “We’ve said that we want to work constructively to bring these strikes to an end … we’re committed to finding a solution and resolving this dispute.”

The Times newspaper earlier reported the BMA’s junior doctors committee had recommended a pay offer to its members, which would include a backdated pay rise of 4.05% for 2023-24, on top of an existing 8.8%-10.3% increase.

For 2024-25, they will receive a further rise of 6%, topped up by a consolidated 1,000 pounds ($1,285) payment, the report said.

Strikes have heaped more pressure on an already overburdened NHS, leading to thousands of cancelled appointments and procedures. A list of patients waiting to begin hospital treatment has ballooned to more than 7 million cases.

($1 = 0.7785 pounds)

(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar and Kylie MacLellan, Editing by Paul Sandle and Toby Chopra)