What was claimed
Resident doctors are asking for an almost 30% pay rise on top of the 5.4% rise awarded this year.
Our verdict
Incorrect. The BMA has asked for a rise of 29% on top of last year’s pay, not this year’s. Its figures suggest this would equate to a rise of 22-23% on top of the increase announced this year.
[Resident, or junior doctors] are asking for an almost 30 per cent pay rise on top of their 5.4 per cent raise this year.
An article on the front page of the Daily Telegraph on Monday, also published online, claimed that resident doctors (formerly known as junior doctors) are demanding a pay rise of almost 30% on top of the recent rise of 5.4% announced this year by the government. (The rise is due to be paid in August, backdated to April.)
This claim isn’t correct. The British Medical Association (BMA), the union that represents many resident doctors, confirmed with Full Fact that it is asking for a 29% rise compared with last year’s rates—that is, before the 5.4% uplift was announced.
Full Fact approached the Telegraph, which then corrected the online version of its article on 4 June.
The BMA says a 29% pay rise is needed to meet its longstanding goal of restoring the value of resident doctors’ pay to 2008–09 levels. Based on the hourly rates that the BMA has published, this would now amount to a rise of about 22-23% on top of the new pay rates.
The BMA is balloting resident doctors about possible strike action over pay. The government has urged doctors not to strike and said there is no more money to increase pay above the latest award.
We’ve written many articles about junior doctors’ pay in the past. The media should take care when reporting both public sector pay and the unions’ pay demands, so that voters can base their opinions on accurate information.
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As detailed in our fact check, following our approach, the Telegraph corrected the online version of its article.
After we published this fact check, we contacted the Telegraph to ask them to also correct in print.
We are waiting to hear back from them.
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