London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Consultants want up to £262 an hour to cover strike days for junior doctors

Consultants want up to £262 an hour to cover strike days for junior doctors

Consultants in England want at least three times their basic pay to provide emergency cover for junior doctors during this month's three-day walkout.

The demands have been described as unreasonable by NHS bosses as they try to plug the gaps in emergency care.

The British Medical Association (BMA) is recommending its members ask for £158 an hour to work during the day, rising to £262 for night shifts.

It said it was right to be paid more for work outside the normal contract.

Consultants earn between £88,000 and £119,000 a year in basic pay - that works out at the equivalent of about £42 to £57 an hour in a 40-hour week.

Although average pay is £20,000 higher once extra payments for performance, night shifts and being on call is included.

But during the strike the BMA has advised doctors to ask for:

* £158 an hour to work during the day

* £210 an hour to work in the evening

* £262 an hour to work overnight

The BMA said the pay rates should be used by any consultant who is asked to move from their normal speciality or by emergency care consultants who are asked to do extra shifts or fulfil roles normally done by junior doctors.

About 40% of the medical workforce is classed as a junior doctor and two-thirds are thought to be BMA members who will be asked to walk out between 06:00 GMT on 13 and 06:00 on 16 March across both planned and emergency care in their pay dispute.

Junior doctors are calling for pay rises to make up for cuts of 26% since 2008.


Sympathy being eroded - NHS bosses


Danny Mortimer, the chief executive of NHS Employers, said health bosses had sympathy for the plight of doctors, but that was being "eroded" by the unilateral demands being made for premium pay.

He said NHS bosses had not been consulted on the rates, which are included in the BMA official rate card used for extra hours beyond contracted work.

"If their dispute is with the government with regards to both pay and pensions, it seems unreasonable to act without first seeking any kind of agreement with employers," he added.

The rate card was first introduced last year, the BMA said, after some NHS trusts tried to cap the amount they were willing to pay for overtime.

BMA consultants leader Dr Vishal Sharma said it was right the rate card was used for the strikes.

"We wholeheartedly support and stand in solidarity with our junior doctor colleagues in their industrial action and pursuit of full pay restoration.

"Consultants, having themselves experienced real-terms pay cuts, know all too well the damaging impact pay erosion has on morale and staff retention.

"On strike days it is the responsibility of employers to ensure that services are staffed safely, and they have been given adequate notice of when the action is set to take place.

"The BMA rate card rates are recommended for all work undertaken outside of the normal contract, and they are therefore appropriate to use for covering absent junior doctors as this work is quite clearly extra-contractual.

"These rates therefore reflect the market value of doctors' work."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×