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SAS doctors who have ‘gone above and beyond’ to help reduce record waiting lists, in a system that is under-resourced and under-staffed should not be excluded from annual paylifts, according to the British Medical Association (BMA).
It called it a ‘gross injustice’ that some SAS (specialist, associate specialist, and specialty) employed on 2021 contracts have twice been excluded from annual uplifts following recommendations from the pay body, the DDRB (Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Renumeration).
The government has previously insisted that those on the 2021 contracts are ‘outside’ of the DDRB’s remit because these contracts were created as part of a multi-year pay deal – when inflation stood at 1.5%.
In a letter to the Health Secretary today, Dr Ujjwala Anand Mohite, chair of the Association’s SAS Committee, said that the government has continually failed to recognise and reward SAS doctors accordingly and they have seen their real terms pay fall by over a quarter over the last 15 years.
She added that SAS doctors face ‘unique challenges’, often falling victim to ‘gradism’, which seriously degrades morale.
SAS doctors are an essential part of NHS
Dr Mohite adds: “These feelings amongst our members of constantly being ignored or dismissed were further compounded by the government’s decision, for the second time in a row, to exclude SAS doctors in England on the new 2021 contract from the uplifts awarded to the rest of the profession,” she writes.
“This is despite SAS doctors making up an essential part of the NHS workforce and the warnings from the DDRB themselves cautioning that a decision to not apply an award to groups subject to a pay deal will have a ‘significant effect on motivation, affecting retention, productivity, and ultimately patient care.
“It is imperative that the government does not repeat this appalling treatment and that all SAS doctors are included in at least inflationary pay uplifts the government announces following the recommendations of the DDRB. Anything else will add insult to injury and show a complete disregard for the crucial role SAS doctors play in keeping the NHS running.”