Political reporter
Doctors and teachers in England have been handed a 4% pay rise after the government accepted salary recommendations from pay review bodies.
Education unions have broadly welcomed the decision, while warning of cuts to school budgets without extra funding to cover costs.
But health unions have reacted angrily after a smaller rise of 3.6% was announced for other NHS staff, including nurses and midwives.
The British Medical Association (BMA) said an average 5.4% rise for resident doctors, formerly called junior doctors, was “woefully inadequate” and said it would ballot them next week over possible strike action.
Resident doctors took part in 11 separate strikes during 2023 and 2024 as they had been arguing for a 35% increase to make up for 15 years of below-inflation pay awards.
They were given rises worth an average of 22% over the last two years to bring an end to those strikes – and the BMA argues this year’s pay award did not do enough to make up that remaining shortfall.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said it was “grotesque” that nurses had been offered a smaller rise than doctors, adding the “failed” pay review body process “keeps nursing staff weighted to the bottom”.
The union plans to consult nurses on whether they are happy with the rise, or if they want to move forward with industrial action. If they back the latter, a formal strike ballot could be run.
A series of announcements on Thursday confirmed:
- a 4% headline award for doctors, dentists, and teachers in England, as well as prison officers in England and Wales
- resident doctors will get an extra £750 top-up, which the health department says brings their average rise to 5.4%
- a 3.6% rise for NHS staff in England on Agenda for Change contracts, including nurses and midwives
- a 3.25% rise for civil servants, including senior civil servants
- a 4.5% rise for members of the UK armed forces, with 3.75% for senior military staff.
Inflation unexpectedly rose to 3.5% in the year to April, complicating perceptions of how generous the offers are.
The PCS union, which represents civil servants below the senior ranks, contrasted the latest figure with their proposed 3.25% offer.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the pay award for nurses as “above inflation”, although the RCN insisted it would be “entirely swallowed up” by price rises.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies, a think tank, said the 4% offer for teachers was “likely to represent small real-terms rise,” given official economic forecasters were predicting 3.2% inflation for this financial year.
Funding concerns
The rises come after ministers accepted proposals from a series of pay review bodies, which are tasked with recommending pay awards for around 45% of people working in the public sector.
The awards are higher than the 2.8% the Treasury previously budgeted for, with ministers saying most of the remainder will have to come from existing budgets.
The education department has announced an additional £615m to cover the rises, but said schools would be asked to partially fund the awards through “improved productivity and smarter spending”.
The National Education Union, which represents teachers, said the award was “not fully funded” and it could lead to “cuts in service provision” for many schools.
General secretary Daniel Kebede told the BBC his union would consult members over the offer, but he felt it would be “broadly acceptable” and strike action was “very unlikely”.
“The question is the issue of funding. Members care deeply about that, and of course will want us to campaign heavily on it,” he added.
The health department insisted it would be able to avoid cuts to “frontline services” when finding extra cash for the rises.
It cited reduced use of temporary staff, cutting “duplication and waste”, and its plan to abolish NHS England as areas where money could be found.
Labour ended long-running public sector strikes last summer by accepting recommended pay rises between 4.75% and 6% for last year.
Ministers argued the move was required to stop damage to the economy – but it led to Conservative accusations they had lost control of public sector pay.
Shadow health secretary Edward Argar said: “We warned Labour that the unions would simply come back for more when they gave into the strikes and agreed to above inflation pay demands with no strings attached.
“The government need to get a grip, say how they’ll pay for above inflation pay rises without taking money from services for patients, and to stand up to the unions by negotiating a fair affordable deal for taxpayers”.
