STORY
In a move described as the largest public-sector award of the year, resident doctors in England are to receive an average pay uplift of 5.4% for 2025–26, comprising a 4% salary increase alongside a £750 consolidated payment. This latest award follows last year’s deal, which doctors overwhelmingly backed, and brings the total pay rise for the cohort to 28.9% over the past three years. Health Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed that full-time basic pay for resident doctors will average around £54,300 in the coming financial year. To ensure clinicians see the benefit sooner, the increase will be backdated to 1 April 2025 and reflected in August pay packets, two months earlier than the previous cycle. Officials also plan to kick-start next year’s pay negotiations in July, aiming for an even more prompt implementation in 2026–27.
Funding for these awards will be secured entirely through efficiency savings and the elimination of low-value spending within the health service, including a reduction in NHS England headcount, with none of the extra cost coming at the expense of frontline care. Mr Streeting emphasised that “every penny saved is being redirected to invest in the frontline, including staff pay” underlining the government’s commitment to protecting patient services.
Alongside the pay settlement, the Department of Health & Social Care is rolling out a suite of measures aimed at improving working conditions for trainee doctors. These include reforming exception reporting to streamline the logging of extra hours and safety concerns, reducing payroll errors, ensuring timely publication of rotas, and cutting down on repetitive mandatory training when rotating placements. A postgraduate training review, to be overseen by Sir Chris Whitty, will also launch this year, focusing on career progression and flexibility