Strikes by senior doctors in Cumbria could be at an end after the government offered a improved pay deal to members of the British Medical Association (BMA).
The BMA is to put a pay offer to consultant members in England, following a month of intense negotiations with the Government.
The offer from Government is for 4.95 per cent investment in pay – for this financial year - in addition to the 6 per cent pay uplift already awarded for this year. If the offer is accepted, the changes will be applicable from January 2024, but will be paid retrospectively in April 2024.
There will be an increase to the starting salary for a consultant, and to the salary at the top of the new pay scale structure. The exact amount a consultant will receive under the offer will depend on the current stage of their career.
These proposals will mean that consultants will receive a minimum of 6 per cent in 2023/24 as a result of the previously implemented pay award.
However, the majority of consultants will also receive an additional uplift, of up to 12.8 per cent, depending on their pay point, and this will apply from January 2024.
Almost 2,000 appointments and operations were cancelled by NCIC because of NHS strike action over the last year, new figures show.
It comes as the number of inpatient and outpatient appointments and operations cancelled due to strikes across England surpassed 1 million following the first co-ordinated strike by junior doctors and consultants in history earlier in the Autumn.
NHS England figures show North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust has cancelled 477 appointments or operations initially scheduled between September 19 and 23 as a direct result of strike action by NHS staff.
It means the total number of treatments cancelled grew to 1,984 over the last year.
Strikes have been conducted by various NHS staff members, including consultants, junior doctors, nurses, and ambulance workers.
Dr Vishal Sharma, BMA consultants committee chair, said: “We are pleased that after a month of intense talks and more than six months of strike action we never wanted to take, we have now got an offer we can put to members.
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“It is a huge shame that it has needed consultants to take industrial action to get the Government to this point when we called for talks many months ago.
If the offer is accepted, the BMA has agreed to call an end to strike action and to stop promoting the extra-contractual rate card for consultants in England.
“However, a re-ballot on industrial action remains open and if passed, would enable consultants to call further strikes in 2024 if the offer is rejected.”
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