Doctors are being “unfairly punished” by the government in terms of pay, despite “working harder than ever” the British Medical Association has told the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB).
The British Medical Association (BMA) recommended, in their submission to the review body, that pay is in line with the “wider economy” in order to avoid antagonising the “significant recruitment and retention crisis”.
The report read: “We are not proposing a specific figure for the 2016/17 pay award, but we argue that doctors should be treated in line with the wider economy, where pay settlements are running at higher than the public sector pay policy cap.”
The Association suggested that the London cash supplement of £2,162 – which has not been updated since 2005 – is updated in line with rising rental costs and travel costs.
Property rental prices in London have risen by around 20% to 30% since 2010, or by 4.6% in the last year, with average London rentals now more than twice the national average. London travel costs have risen by around 2.5% in the last year, well above general inflation and NHS pay settlements, the report stated.
The BMA said: “We believe it is within the DDRB’s remit to make a gross earnings recommendation for GPs, and we suggest using the latest available expenses data from HSCIC and current cost pressures as a guide to setting this.”
