Junior doctors have voted to accept a government pay deal worth 22.3% on average over two years, the British Medical Association has said.
A statement to media said: “The BMA’s junior doctors committee (JDC) in England has accepted the Government’s pay offer, with 66% of junior doctors voting in favour of the deal.”
The statement added: “Outside the pay negotiations, the Government has agreed that from September 18 ‘junior doctors’ across the UK will be known as ‘resident doctors’ to better reflect their expertise.
“This follows a motion to the BMA’s annual policy making conference in 2023 when doctors voted in favour of a name change.”
The BMA junior doctors committee co-chairs, Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, said: “It should never have taken so long to get here, but we have shown what can be accomplished with our determination and with a government willing to simply sit down and talk realistically about a path to pay restoration. One strike was one strike too many.
“This deal marks the end of 15 years of pay erosion with the beginning of two years of modest above inflation pay rises. There is still a long way to go, with doctors remaining 20.8% in real terms behind where we were in 2008.
“Mr Streeting has acknowledged our pay has fallen behind and has talked about a journey to pay restoration.
“He believes the independent pay review body is the right vehicle for this, and if he is right then no doctor need strike over pay in future.
“However, in the event the pay review body disappoints, he needs to be prepared for the consequences.