Health Minister says 5% senior doctor pay rise offer is ‘at the limit’

A five per cent pay rise for senior doctors across Wales is “at the limits of the finances available to us”, the health minister has said.

The comments come after BMA Cymru Wales announced this week that senior doctors had voted to stage a 48-hour strike from 7am, Tuesday 16 April to 7am, Thursday 18 April.

The ongoing dispute over pay centres around claims of pay cuts by almost a third in real terms since the 2008/09 financial year,

Consultants and SAS – speciality doctors – make up over half of the hospital-based medical workforce combined, with 3,137 consultants and 1,088 SAS doctors working in hospitals across Wales.

The BMA is now calling on all consultants and SAS doctors in Wales to join the a 48-hour strike, except for those providing ‘Christmas Day’ cover.

This level of cover will ensure doctors can provide emergency care, but all elective or non-emergency work will be postponed during this period.

Dr Stephen Kelly, chair of the BMA’s consultants committee in Wales, said: “This has been an incredibly difficult decision.

“No doctor wants to strike, but the conditions now faced in the workplace caused by the extreme pressures on the service and unsafe staffing levels have left doctors with no choice.

“Fewer doctors now want to develop their careers in Wales with some health boards reporting vacancy rates of over third for senior doctor posts.

“Colleagues are now choosing to retire early, reduce their hours or move out of Wales where pay is competitive, and wards better staffed.

“Unless doctors are better valued for the work they do, more and more doctors will leave an NHS already under severe pressure in Wales”.

In the Senedd this week, Welsh Conservative MS Russell George questioned Health Minister Eluned Morgan on the strike action and the Welsh Government’s “priorities”.

The question was asked the same day as members debated plans to reform the Senedd.

Mr George said: “The cost of meeting the additional 1 per cent payment for consultants and SAS doctors, recommended by the independent review body, would cost £6.5 million, according to a response to a written question from us as Welsh Conservatives.

“I know you will say that there is no more money, but, later today, we’ll be spending a considerable amount of time talking about Senedd reform, and we know that cost.

“We know that cost is £17.8 million per year for the additional politicians that some members would like to see.

“This is about priorities, and this is about decisions that are made here.”

However, Baroness Morgan said the five per cent uplift in pay was “at the limits of the finances available to us, and reflects the agreement reached with the other health unions for this year.”

She argued that the “£168 million funding announced by the Chancellor for Wales is already planned for and known by the Welsh Government and accounted for in our spending plans.”

She said: “We, of course, remain committed to working in social partnership with the British Medical Association, and are available for further talks at any stage.

“We will work with the NHS and unions and partners to ensure that lifesaving and life-maintaining care is provided during the industrial action, and patient safety is maintained.

“I am pleased to see that there is additional funding for the NHS by the Chancellor, but, as I say, that was additional funding that we had assumed would be coming for us and is already written into our budgetary plans.

“But I think boasting, like he did today, about the 13 per cent increase over the term of the parliament—five years—is not that impressive, when, under the last Labour government, spending on health increased by 4 per cent in real terms every year.”

The 48-hour strike by consultants and SAS doctors will take place from Tuesday 16 April.

Junior doctors in Wales will also begin their third round of strike action a 96-hour full walkout from 7am Monday 25 March in pursuit of a fairer deal.