Junior doctors accept huge bumper pay deal worth 22% to end months of crippling strikes
PA
Junior doctors have ended months of crippling strikes by accepting a bumper pay deal worth 22 per cent.
The revamped contracts will boost starting salaries from £29,384 to £36,616.
It will also ensure pay will reach £70,425 once fully-qualified, a drastic increase compared to the current rate of £58,398.
Strike leaders Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi encouraged members to vote yes in a ballot that ended on Sunday.
The agreement will end 18 months of strikes
PAJunior doctors in England voted by 66 per cent in favour of accepting the Government’s pay offer.
Confirming junior doctors had accepted the deal, the British Medical Association said: "Junior doctors in England, thank you for voting in the referendum and making your voices heard.
"The votes are tallied and 65.97 per cent of you voted to ACCEPT the Government's offer.
"Your committee met this evening to ratify the result. We'll be in touch soon about what happens next."
Following the proposed deal last month, Chancellor Rachel Reeves welcomed "the start of a new relationship" between the Government and NHS staff
PAThe breakthrough comes after patients suffered 1.5 million appointment cancellations since March last year.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting will also claim the agreement as a major victory given the previous Tory Government failed to win over junior doctors.
There were 11 junior doctors’ walkouts totalling 44 days, with more than 20,000 staff striking each time.
The new pay deal amounts to a total of increase of between 21 and 25 per cent between 2023 and 2025.
There were 11 junior doctors’ walkouts totalling 44 days, with more than 20,000 staff striking each time
PAResponding to the announcement of the pay package, Dr Laurenson and Dr Trivedi said: “We are recommending that members vote for the deal.
“We believe that this is the best offer available at this moment in time, acknowledging there is still more work to be done in the future.”
Following the proposed deal last month, Chancellor Rachel Reeves welcomed "the start of a new relationship" between the Government and NHS staff.
"Today marks the start of a new relationship between the government and staff working in the NHS," she added. "The whole country will welcome that."