By Jimmy Fatunbi
Junior doctors in England have accepted the government’s offer of a 22% pay rise over two years, ending their long-running dispute.
Members of the British Medical Association backed the deal with 66% voting in favour. Nearly 46,000 took part in the online ballot.
It brings to an end the 18-month dispute, which saw junior doctors take part in 11 separate strikes.
But the BMA warned it expected more above-inflation pay rises in future years or there would be “consequences”.
The offer was made by Health Secretary Wes Streeting in late July – just weeks after Labour won the election.
He said he was “pleased” it had been accepted, ending the “most devastating dispute in the health service’s history”.
“This marks the necessary first step in our mission to cut waiting lists, reform the broken health service, and make it fit for the future,” Streeting added.
The pay deal includes a 4% backdated pay rise for 2023-24, on top of the existing increase they have already received worth an average of 9% for the last financial year.
A further pay rise worth about 8% will be paid for 2024-25, as recommended by an independent pay review body.
That brings the total over the two years to around 22%, on average, for each junior doctor, with the lowest paid set to receive the largest increases.
The BMA had been campaigning for a 35% pay increase to make up for what it says are years of below-inflation pay rises
