Consultants did not receive a pay rise for 2010/2011. The government also froze the value of clinical excellence awards.
Foundation year doctors, house officers, senior house officers, specialty registrars, specialty doctors, associate specialists and salaried GPs in England received a 1% pay rise from 1 April 2010.
The government turned down a recommendation from the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body that juniors’ pay should increase by 1.5%. Wales adopted the same pay awards to doctors, but juniors in Scotland received the 1.5% pay uplift.
In 2009/2010, all doctors received a 1.5% pay rise.
Consultant salaries 2010/2011
Threshold 1, years completed as a consultant 0, £74,504, period before eligibility for next threshold one year
Threshold 2, years completed as a consultant 1, £76,837, period before eligibility for next threshold one year
Threshold 3, years completed as a consultant 2, £79,170, period before eligibility for next threshold one year
Threshold 4, years completed as a consultant 3, £81,502, period before eligibility for next threshold one year
Threshold 5, years completed as a consultant 4, £83,829, period before eligibility for next threshold five years
Threshold 6, years completed as a consultant 9, £89,370, period before eligibility for next threshold five years
Threshold 7, years completed as a consultant 14, £94,911, period before eligibility for next threshold five years
Threshold 8, years completed as a consultant 19, £100,446
Clinical excellence awards for consultants
Level 1 £2,957
Level 2 £5,914
Level 3 £8,871
Level 4 £11,828
Level 5 £14,785
Level 6 £17,742
Level 7 £23,656
Level 8 £29,570
Bronze/Level 9 £35,484
Silver/Level 10 £46,644
Gold/Level 11 £58,305
Platinum/Level 12 £75,796
More on Clinical Excellence Awards
Trainee salaries 2010/2011
Grade FHO1
Point minimum, no band £23,533, 1C band (20%) £26,895, 1B band (40%) £31,377
Point 1, no band £25,002, 1C band (20%) £28,574, 1B band (40%) £33,336
Point 2, no band £26,470, 1C band (20%) £30,251, 1B band (40%) £35,293
Grade FHO2
Point minimum, no band £27,798, 1C band (20%) £33,358, 1B band (40%) £38,918
Point 1, no band £29,616, 1C band (20%) £35,540, 1B band (40%) £41,463
Point 2, no band £31,434, 1C band (20%) £37,721, 1B band (40%) £44,008
Grade StR
Point minimum, no band £29,705, 1C band (20%) £35,646, 1B band (40%) £41,587
Point 1, no band £31,523, 1C band (20%) £37,828, 1B band (40%) £41,133
Point 2, no band £34,061, 1C band (20%) £40,874, 1B band (40%) £47,686
Point 3, no band £35,596, 1C band (20%) £42,716, 1B band (40%) £49,835
Point 4, no band £37,448, 1C band (20%) £44,938, 1B band (40%) £52,428
Point 5, no band £39,300, 1C band (20%) £47,160, 1B band (40%) £55,020
Point 6, no band £41,152, 1C band (20%) £49,383 1B band (40%) £57,613
Point 7, no band £43,003, 1C band (20%) £51,604, 1B band (40%) £60,205
Point 8, no band £44,856, 1C band (20%) £53,828, 1B band (40%) £62,799
Point 9, no band £46,708, 1C band (20%) £56,050, 1B band (40%) £65,392
Specilty doctor salaries 2010/2011
Scale value minimum, £36,807, period before eligibility for next pay point one year
Scale value 1, £39,955, period before eligibility for next pay point one year
Scale value 2, £44,046, period before eligibility for next pay point one year
Scale value 3, £46,239, period before eligibility for next pay point one year
Scale value 4, £49,398, period before eligibility for next pay point one year
Scale value 5, £52,546, period before eligibility for next pay point two years
Scale value 6, £55,764, period before eligibility for next pay point two years
Scale value 7, £58,983, period before eligibility for next pay point two years
Scale value 8, £62,201, period before eligibility for next pay point three years
Scale value 9, £65,419, period before eligibility for next pay point three years
Scale value 10, £68,638
Associate specialist salaries 2010/2011
Scale value minimum, £51,606, period before eligibility for next pay point one year
Scale value 1, £55,754, period before eligibility for next pay point one year
Scale value 2, £59,901, period before eligibility for next pay point one year
Scale value 3, £65,378, period before eligibility for next pay point one year
Scale value 4, £70,126, period before eligibility for next pay point one year
Scale value 5, £72,095, period before eligibility for next pay point two years
Scale value 6, £74,665, period before eligibility for next pay point two years
Scale value 7, £77,235, period before eligibility for next pay point two years
Scale value 8, £79,805, period before eligibility for next pay point three years
Scale value 9, £82,375, period before eligibility for next pay point three years
Scale value 10, £84,948
Read the full pay scales.
Dispute over pay awards for hospital doctors
The government takes pay advice from the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body (DDRB) before announcing the pay awards in April. The pay body was set up in 1971 and its reviews are supposedly independent. It has, however, been repeatedly criticised for favoring the government’s position over that of the profession.
The pay body considers the need to recruit, retain and motivate doctors; regional variations in labour markets; the funds available to the health departments in the UK; the government’s inflation target, and the overall strategy that the NHS should place patients at the heart of all it does. It also takes account of the economic and other evidence submitted by the government, staff and professional representatives.
In 2008/2009, the pay increase to doctors’ national pay scales was 2.2%, as recommended by the review body. In contrast, in January 2008, the Retail Price Index - an accurate measure of inflation - stood at 4.1%. The BMA advised pay increases of between 3.6% and 4.3% for the different groups it represents.
In recent years, the media have been less than sympathetic to the pay claims of the medical profession, and the value of GP pay rises in particular have come under scrutiny.
In 2009/2010, the pay increase to doctors’ national pay scales was 1.5%, as recommended by the review body. The BMA criticised the pay body report for lacking clarity on how the figure was arrived at, given that both the NHS Employers’ and Health Department’s evidence suggested a 2% pay rise for doctors was affordable.
The BMA claimed that the evidence appeared to have been discounted and the pay body drew its own conclusions on the affordability of the doctors’ pay round.
In 2010/2011, health secretary Andy Burnham overruled advice from the pay body, which recommended a pay rise for trainees of 1.5%, instead offering 1%. He called on consultants to show leadership over pay restraint.
Burnham said: “These pay uplifts are a good deal for the government and the NHS. In tough times, this package targets the pay rises we can afford to make where they can do most good for patients.”
The BMA had urged the review body to remain independent of government and recommend a 2% pay uplift for 2010/2011.
BMA chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum said: “Many doctors have already undergone pay freezes or sub-inflation pay rises in recent years and today’s announcement will mean a pay freeze for the most highly experienced senior doctors.
“We are particularly disappointed that the Government, in choosing to interfere with the pay review body’s recommendations, has not fully taken into account the financial pressures on junior doctors in their first years of postgraduate training - who have average debts of £22,000.
“It is interesting that the government accepted in full the salary increases recommended for MPs, yet chose to penalise dedicated and hard-working doctors who strive to lead and deliver improvements in care whilst working in exceptionally challenging circumstances.”