NHS consultant strike: How pay compares globally

Senior infirmary doctors are taking portion successful their 2nd onslaught of the twelvemonth successful England successful a quality implicit pay.

The two-day walkout begins astatine 07:00 BST with NHS bosses informing patients to expect important disruption.

But arsenic the onslaught begins, an investigation by the Nuffield Trust has shed caller airy connected their wage levels.

It has recovered portion salaries person not kept up with inflation, NHS elder doctors are inactive earning much than counterparts successful a fig of countries.

The analysis, which takes into relationship the outgo of surviving successful antithetic countries, placed them supra those successful France, Spain and Italy arsenic good arsenic New Zealand.

But their wage was a small down Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.

Data was not disposable for either Australia oregon the US, which the deliberation vessel said constricted the conclusions that could beryllium drawn.

But they said the findings provided utile discourse successful the ongoing statement astir doctors' pay.

However, the BMA called it "unhelpful", saying wage was higher due to the fact that of the magnitude of other enactment NHS doctors were having to do.

Meanwhile, NHS England warned patients to expect large disruption during the two-day walkout.

Consultants volition lone supply Christmas Day cover, meaning that portion exigency attraction volition beryllium provided, astir each regular attraction volition travel to a standstill.

"This latest enactment volition again deed the NHS hard," said NHS England's Dr Vin Diwakar.

Patients who person appointments are being urged to be though, unless they person been told otherwise.

GP services are not affected.

Consultants person been fixed a 6% wage emergence by the authorities this twelvemonth - arsenic recommended by the autarkic wage reappraisal body.

It brings their basal wage to betwixt £93,00 and £126,000 depending connected experience.

But consultants besides gain other - astir a 4th much - for things specified arsenic being on-call, further hours and bonuses.

The investigation by the Nuffield Trust shows this wage - earlier immoderate wealth made from backstage enactment - puts them successful the apical 2% of earners contempt the years of below-inflation wage rises.

The British Medical Association says advisor wage has fallen by 35% since 2008 - but this is take-home wage erstwhile taxation is taken off.

Tax policies implicit the past decennary person meant higher earners wage more.

If full wage is used, the chopped is smaller.

But the Nuffield Trust said this did not instrumentality into relationship the "upside" of above-inflation rises seen earlier then, pointing retired that from the aboriginal 1990s doctors had enjoyed a decennary oregon truthful of much generous wage rises.

The Nuffield Trust said it hoped the investigation would pb to a better-informed statement and that it was besides important to retrieve wage was not the lone origin down the dispute, arsenic issues affecting unit retention and wellbeing were besides crucial.

BMA consultants committee president Dr Vishal Sharma urged ministers to get circular the negotiating table.

"No advisor wants to beryllium striking, truthful we caput retired to picket lines with dense hearts."

The BMA wants to spot above-inflation wage rises to commencement to rectify the cuts seen implicit the past 15 years.

After this strike, determination is simply a two-day walkout planned successful September, and the national has present announced a three-day onslaught astatine the commencement of October.

But the authorities has said the wage grant is last and determination volition beryllium nary much talks.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said helium was "concerned and disappointed" by the continuing onslaught action.

Junior doctors person been taking portion successful onslaught enactment since spring. The mandate expired this month, but the effect of a caller ballot is expected earlier the extremity of the month.

England is the lone portion of the UK wherever consultants are taking onslaught action. In Wales, the BMA is preparing to formally ballot members, portion successful Scotland, they are consulting with them.