Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Strike ends: 83% Senior doctors and dentists accept Government's pay offer

Strike ends: 83% Senior doctors and dentists accept Government's pay offer
A 2.85% increase offered to consultants with 4 to 7 years of experience along with reform proposals by the government

In a significant development, the British Medical Association's (BMA) consultants committee has voted to accept the government's offer on pay for senior doctors in England, along with proposed reforms to the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB).

This decision follows a prolonged dispute between consultants and the government, which spanned over a year, involving unprecedented industrial actions.


Committee Chair Vishal Sharma described the agreement as "the end of the beginning" in consultants' endeavors to restore their pay levels to those of 2008.

Stressing the importance of the review body's independence in averting future pay disputes, Sharma emphasized the imperative role of utilizing this autonomy effectively.

A staggering 83% of consultants participating in the three-week referendum voted in favor of accepting the offer, signaling a widespread endorsement of the agreement within the profession.

The deal not only represents an improvement on a previous offer rejected in January but also includes significant reforms to the DDRB.

These reforms aim to reinstate the body's original purpose and independence, including changes in member appointments and constraints on its remit by the government.

Moreover, the offer acknowledges the historical losses suffered by doctors and the competitive international market for medical professionals, ensuring that the review body considers these factors in its deliberations.

While the agreement entails changes to the consultant pay scale, it includes a 2.85% (£3,000) uplift for medical practitioners in service for four to seven years, who were initially excluded from additional uplifts.

Despite this progress, Dr. Sharma stressed that the fight for fair pay and recognition is ongoing.

"Consultants have shown they are not afraid to act when they need to, and ministers, whether present or future. It's in the Government’s and DDRB’s gift to avoid this, starting with the pay round for the coming year."

Meanwhile, other disputes persist across the UK, with consultants and staff in Wales and Northern Ireland gearing up for industrial actions, while junior doctors in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland remain embroiled in disputes with their respective governments.

The referendum, held between March 14 and April 3, witnessed a turnout of 62% among BMA consultant members, underlining the significance and broad participation in the decision-making process within the medical community.

More For You

NHS pharmacy funding not enough 2025: £3.073B deal with £1.99B gap fuels reform debate.

Funding alone isn’t going to be enough to save community pharmacy

Photo credit: gettyimages

New funding contract ‘not enough’ to release the sector from financial blackhole

After almost a year without an agreement, a new funding contract for community pharmacy was finally announced yesterday (31 March).

The settlement raises the baseline annual funding for the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) in 2025/26 to £3.073 billion, with an additional £215 million secured to continue Pharmacy First and other Primary Care Recovery Plan services.

Keep ReadingShow less
Free morning-after pill at pharmacies to end postcode lottery for patients

Pharmacy technicians will be allowed to supply of drospirenone for contraception under PGD,

gettyimages

Pharmacy contract: Free morning-after pill to be available at pharmacies soon

The UK government has announced that, for the first time ever, the ‘morning-after pill’ or emergency contraceptive pill will be available free of charge at pharmacies on the NHS, ending the postcode lottery women face in accessing the medicine and reducing inequalities.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed a record £3.073 billion funding package for community pharmacies in 2025/26, alongside an additional £215 million to sustain Pharmacy First and other Primary Care Recovery Plan services.

Keep ReadingShow less
Royal College status: The PDA calls for ‘meaningful and collaborative dialogue’

The profession’s success will depend on collaboration across all sectors, says PDA.

gettyimages

Royal College vote: Less than 7% of GB pharmacists in favour, says PDA

The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has criticised the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) for moving too quickly to a ballot on its proposed transition to a Royal College, arguing that it resulted in low participation from pharmacists in Great Britain.

Announcing the results of the special resolution vote, the RPS said that the outcome was a “clear mandate” in favour of the transformative change.

Keep ReadingShow less
RPS Wales calls for urgent investment in pharmacy workforce at Senedd meeting

Third from the left: Eluned Morgan, First Minister of Wales

Photo credit: RPS

Invest in pharmacy workforce: RPS Wales urges Senedd members

Members of the Senedd (MSs) were briefed on the increasing pressures facing pharmacy teams and the urgent need for action to support their health and wellbeing at an event hosted by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Wales.

The event, held on Wednesday, brought together MSs, including first minister Eluned Morgan, to discuss the findings of RPS’ latest Workforce Wellbeing Survey.

Keep ReadingShow less
Imported dengue reach record high, warns UKSHA

Most dengue cases were linked to travel to Southern and South-Eastern Asia.

Getty Images

Imported dengue cases hit record high – Consult your pharmacist before you travel

The UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) has warned that imported dengue cases in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (EWNI) have reached their highest level since dengue surveillance began in 2009.

New data from the agency reveals that 904 dengue cases were reported among returning travellers in these countries in 2024, a sharp increase from 631 in 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less