Consultants vote in favour of the new government pay deal
NHS Employers welcomes this positive result and the end to strike action by consultants in England. The revised offer was the product of further constructive talks between the government and the unions with all parties negotiating in good faith.
Effective from 1 March 2024, the new deal will modernise the consultant pay structure by reducing the number of pay points and the time it takes to reach the top. The shortened pay scale will improve inequalities by helping to reduce the gender pay gap in medicine.
The deal also reflects modern ways of working by offering enhanced shared parental leave, in line with other NHS staff.
The pay increase is expected to be in May salaries backdated to 1 March 2024.
In addition, the government will enact changes to the operation of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) to provide greater confidence in its operation.
The deal builds on a headline pay uplift of 6 per cent for 2023/24 which was settled through the pay review body process. Headline pay for 2024/25 will be determined through the DDRB process as usual, with government expected to announce details before the end of July 2024.
Next steps
We will now work with the Department of Health and Social Care and trade unions to implement this deal.
This will include:
- updates to the consultant's terms and conditions of service and model contract
- a pay and conditions circular to notify employers of the new pay arrangements
- new resources and FAQs to support employers to implement the agreed changes.
