Apr 21 2008
Northern Ireland's doctors are again to receive a below inflation pay award; indeed many will in effect receive a pay cut. Dr Brian Patterson, Chairman of the BMA's NI Council, said that this is very concerning for the medical profession and disappointing in the extreme for thousands of doctors here.
Dr Patterson said: "The pay award of 2.2% is unacceptable and government needs to take full cognisance of the medical profession's dismay and exasperation at what, for another year running, is its failure to recognise and reward the hard work and dedication of Northern Ireland's doctors. If demotivation of the medical workforce is the aim of government then it's going the right way about achieving it.
"Indeed for those junior doctors* who have lost their entitlement to free hospital accommodation it will mean losing £400 per month - a pay cut of 20%. How on earth can young doctors, especially from backgrounds where personal finance is an uphill struggle, be motivated to stay within medicine?"
Dr Brian Dunn, Chairman of the BMA's GPs committee in NI, said: "The salary award for GPs** this year means that although some will receive a small increase in the resources necessary to run their practices, many will receive nothing at all - yet again.
"GP practices will have an increase in their global sum of 2.7%. The government says that, having taken account of the cost of expenses, this also equates to a 2.2% increase in earnings. Not so! The average increase in resources for GP practices is estimated to be 0.2%, with most practices getting nothing and around 10% getting up to 2.7%.
"Indeed the BMA is seriously concerned that the DDRB recommendations accepted by government are not legally deliverable under current regulations and have written to UK Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, to this effect."