The government has proposed a 2.4% pay rise for doctors for the 2027-2028 financial year in its evidence to the independent pay review body. The British Medical Association (BMA) and UNISON called it “derisory,” and the Royal College of Nursing said it was a “betrayal.”

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England told the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) that they could plan for the uplift “without having to make trade-offs” against headline government health commitments.

In 2026, the government accepted the DDRB’s recommended 3.5% pay rise, which exceeded the 2.5% it had initially proposed.

Government Cites Financial Pressures 

The joint evidence submitted to the DDRB said DHSC and the NHS were “already managing a wide set of material financial risks.” These included the impact of higher inflation, energy costs, industrial action, and reducing immigration health surcharge income.

The evidence described NHS pay as a “significant material pressure,” saying every 0.5% increase to pay costs was approximately £750 million — the equivalent of more than 89,000 hip or knee replacement operations.

The evidence also argued that pay made up only “one part” of the overall reward package, and that doctors also received a “range of benefits that exceed the statutory minimum and those offered in other sectors.”

These included a “generous” holiday allowance, sickness absence arrangements of up to 12 months of payment, enhanced parental leave, and career progression support, learning, and development. It also cited access to a defined benefit pension scheme with an employer contribution rate of 15.5%.

BMA Says Doctors’ Pay Has Fallen Behind 

BMA council chairman Dr Tom Dolphin said it “beggars belief” that ministers are saying doctors deserve a pay cut at a time when patients are being treated in hospital corridors and car parks, people are waiting too long for a GP appointment, and the government’s pledge to bring down waiting lists is stalling.

The BMA said that doctors had suffered larger salary reductions than any other professional group, and that pay for doctors was well below what it was 20 years ago.

“While medical practitioners' wages have gone up slightly, from £76,873 in 2005 to £78,796 now, after accounting for inflation, their pay has technically fallen by 42%,” Dolphin said.

Risk to Recruitment and Retention 

Dolphin warned that cutting pay was not the way to demonstrate to a workforce that they were valued, and that it risked losing doctors from the NHS and the country.

UNISON head of health Helga Pile said many NHS staff were paid less than the real living wage, and that the NHS could find itself losing more staff since some could earn more working for supermarkets or other employers. She also said the proposed pay rise was “insulting” and fell short of expected inflation.

Dr Steve Taylor, GP co-lead at Doctors’ Association UK, said the proposed pay rise would add to recruitment pressures, with many GPs now choosing alternative paths, including private GP work, working overseas, or leaving medicine.

Dolphin said the DDRB would face a test of its independence. “We urge its members to consider what the NHS and patients really need, rather than be hamstrung by a Government telling them it is not prepared to invest properly in the medical workforce,” he added.

Rob Hicks is a retired National Health Service doctor. A well-known TV and radio broadcaster, he has written several books and has regularly contributed to national newspapers, magazines, and online publications. He is based in the United Kingdom.