Doctors and teachers in England have recently been granted a 4% pay increase by the government, following suggestions from pay review bodies. This rise surpasses the previously budgeted 2.8%, with the government indicating that most of the additional funds will need to be sourced from existing budgets. While most education unions have expressed satisfaction with the decision, they have also cautioned about potential cuts to school budgets if extra funding is not allocated to cover expenses.
In contrast, health unions have responded with disappointment to the 3.6% raise offered to NHS staff other than doctors, such as nurses and midwives. The health department has highlighted that junior doctors, now known as resident doctors, will receive a mean increment of 5.4%, including a £750 top-up. Despite this, the British Medical Association has criticized the rise as “woefully inadequate” and is planning to ballot resident doctors concerning potential strike action.
The Royal College of Nursing has also expressed discontent, referring to the smaller increase for nurses as “grotesque” in comparison to doctors. The 4% pay boost for doctors and dentists aligns with the offer made to teachers in England, as well as prison staff. Meanwhile, NHS staff under Agenda for Change contracts, encompassing the majority of employees except doctors, dentists, and senior managers, have been presented with a 3.6% raise.
In response to these salary adjustments, the education department has announced an additional £615m to fund the raises, although schools are expected to contribute partly by enhancing productivity and utilizing funds more effectively. The National Education Union has expressed concerns about the award not being fully funded, anticipating potential service cuts in numerous schools. Conversely, the health department has assured that cuts to frontline services will be unnecessary, proposing savings through reducing the use of temporary staff, eliminating redundancy and waste, and the proposed abolition of NHS England. Minister-approved recommended increases of 3.25% for senior NHS managers and senior civil servants have also been confirmed, while members of the armed forces have been offered a 4.5% raise
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