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Physicians

BMA Demands 29% Pay Rise for Resident Doctors in England

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The British Medical Association (BMA) is calling for a 29% pay rise for resident doctors in England, citing a decline in real-term pay of almost 21% over the past 17 years. This increase is necessary, the BMA claims, to reverse cuts to the value of their pay since 2008. However, experts have questioned the validity of the BMA's calculations, citing an internationally recognized measure of inflation, the consumer prices index (CPI), which suggests a decline in pay of only 4.7% since 2008. The Nuffield Trust health thinktank has noted that the 2008 comparison date used by the BMA is arbitrary and that a different baseline year would present a different picture of real-term changes to pay.

Key Takeaways:

  • The BMA claims that real-term pay for resident doctors has declined by almost 21% over the past 17 years, while the Nuffield Trust calculates the decline to be only 4.7% using CPI as a measure of inflation.
  • The BMA's calculations are based on the retail prices index (RPI), which lost its status as a national statistic in 2013 after being criticized for overstating the rate of inflation.
  • The 2008 comparison date used by the BMA is arbitrary, and a different baseline year would present a different picture of real-term changes to pay, according to the Nuffield Trust.
  • Resident doctors' pay has increased by 28.9% over the last three years, including a 22.3% pay deal in 2023 and a further 5.4% increase for 2025-26.
  • Resident doctors are threatening to stage six months of strikes from this month up to January 2026, which could have significant impacts on the NHS, including cancelling outpatient appointments and procedures.
  • Health service heads fear that strike action by resident doctors could encourage other NHS staff to also strike over pay, including nurses and hospital consultants.

Statistics:

  • The average starting salary for a full-time resident doctor in England is about £38,800.
  • The average starting salary for a full-time resident doctor in 2022-23 was £29,380.
  • Resident doctors have received the highest pay awards of all public sector workers over the last three years.
  • The BMA members accepted a government pay deal worth 22.3% on average over two years, ending months of strike action under the last Conservative government.
  • 44 days of strike action by resident doctors in 2023 and 2024 resulted in huge numbers of outpatient appointments and procedures being cancelled.

Sources:

  • The British Medical Association (BMA)
  • The Nuffield Trust
  • The Office for National Statistics (ONS)
  • The NHS Confederation
  • The Royal College of Nursing
  • Unison
  • Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Rex/Shutterstock

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