Resident doctors demand trusts across England pay missing wages – BMA Media Center

Resident doctors today asked NHS trusts across England to pay the money they are owed in November without further delay.

Following the July wage agreement between the government and the BMA’s Resident Doctors Committee (RDC), it was agreed that resident doctors will receive back pay for 2023/24 and 2024/25 in their November 2024 pay packages.

However, some doctors will open their payslips today to find that they were not paid as much as they should have been. Doctors at several hospitals reported that their trusts were unable to pay these debts on time, especially if doctors had changed jobs in the past year or returned from maternity leave.

Payments worth up to several thousand pounds could be delayed for months or have to be submitted manually by individual doctors, with payroll departments saying the calculations are too complex to manage.

Resident Doctor Committee (RDC) co-chairs Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt said:

“Doctors should not be hounding the NHS over their pay packages. We made a deal with the government in good faith, guaranteeing that the debt would be paid in November. Doctors now face thousands of pounds in unpaid or delayed wages. With Christmas approaching, many will be unable to make financial plans at the worst possible time. It’s hard to budget for a train ticket home to see family if you don’t know how much you’re being paid in November.

“This is unacceptable behavior from any employer, but to see it from so many NHS trusts beggars belief. We have heard all sorts of excuses for delays and understand that this will be an unusual increase in wages. But the trusts have known this would happen for months and have no excuses.

“NHS employers have made it clear that arrears of wages must be paid to all employees, including former employees, automatically and in November. Why then should hardworking doctors suffer because of the organizational failures of their trusts?”

“We urge affected doctors to write to their trusts reminding them of their obligations and to contact their local BMA representative if they are concerned. We are working with employers and the NHS Government to force trusts to do the right thing and pay doctors properly before the end of the month.”