Basic salaries
As mentioned above, the BMA believes that, as a minimum, doctors employed as occupational physicians outside of the NHS should earn an amount comparable to doctors who work in the NHS. The average earnings index also gives a helpful guide to pay awards. Furthermore, we recommend that additional expenses caused by any rise to the consumer price index (CPI) should be taken in to account and that any pay award should at least be commensurate with Senior Managers in employing organisations.
It is also worth noting that the increased costs for self-employed doctors also cover sickness and holiday provision.
Table 1 shows the range of salaries payable to full-time hospital doctors in the NHS at various grades. Occupational physicians and employers may find it useful to refer to this in negotiations.
The table shows the seniority of occupational physician that the BMA believes is equivalent to the corresponding NHS grade. In negotiating a salary, the doctor's experience, qualifications, length of service and responsibilities should be taken into account, as well as the terms and conditions of the NHS contract (see Table 2).
Out of hours responsibilities
The above salaries do not include any allowance for any out-of-hours or standby duties that the doctor may be obliged to perform. In the NHS, the allowance for such duties by specialty registrars ranges from 20% to 100% of basic salary, depending on how onerous these duties are. For consultants, additional payments ranging between 1% and 8% of basic full-time salary are payable, depending again on the intensity of these duties.
Terms and conditions of service
Apart from salary, doctors and employers need to take into account other terms and conditions of service. A summary of the main terms and conditions of service for NHS doctors is given in Table 2. As with salaries, the Association believes that non-NHS employers should at least match these.
Less than full time/sessional employment
If a doctor is employed on a part-time/sessional basis, then pay and entitlement to benefits should be pro-rata to the whole time salaries and benefits outlined above.
Table 1 - NHS remuneration ranges in England from April 2015 (£ per annum)
Table 1
NHS Grade |
Occupational Physician equivalent |
NHS pay range2 |
Specialty Registrar |
Trainee Occupational Physician |
£36,461 to £46,208 |
|
Progress through this range should normally take no more than 5 years. This range applies to a doctor who enters specialist training directly after completing basic medical training. A higher rate for doctors who have other qualifications or relevant experience may be appropriate. |
Consultant, initial appointment |
Occupational Physician |
£76, 761 to £86, 369 |
|
Progress through the salary range should normally take no more than 5 years depending on experience, qualifications and responsibilities. Note that within the NHS it is possible for a consultant within this band with additional responsibilities and/or who demonstrates a significant contribution to the specialty/profession can earn up to £102,466. |
Experienced Consultant |
Senior Occupational Physician |
£86,369 to £139,682
|
|
Progress through the salary range should normally take no more than 10 years depending on experience, qualifications and responsibilities. An experienced NHS consultant in a senior position with additional responsibilities and/or who demonstrates a significant contribution to the specialty/profession can earn up to £178,004 a year (with Clinical Excellence Awards). |
(2) This includes a 1% non-consolidated, non-pensionable lump sum payment for 2015-16 for doctors at the top of their pay scales in England.
Table 2 - Principal features of NHS terms and conditions of service
Table 2
Item |
NHS terms and conditions |
Hours of work |
40 hours per week |
Holiday entitlement |
6 weeks per annum plus statutory holidays; consultants with 7 or more years of service receive an extra 2 days leave per annum |
Study leave and continuing professional development |
Recommended levels are up to 30 paid days a year for specialty registrars and 30 paid days over 3 years for consultants; the cost of courses should be reimbursed |
Medical Indemnity |
NHS doctors are indemnified for their NHS work but must arrange insurance for other work |
London Weighting |
£2,162 a year from April 2010 |
2015 section of the NHS Pension Scheme
(as at April 2015)
Normal pension age linked to state pension age |
Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) index-linked scheme. Pension calculated as 1/54th of actual revalued earnings for each year of service. Earnings are revalued by CPI + 1.5%. There is no automatic lump sum entitlement in the 2015 section but there is the option of receiving a tax-free lump sum up to HMRC limits by giving up a part of the pension. The employer contribution is 14.3%2 of salary, and employees pay tiered contributions dependent upon their full-time equivalent earnings. As at April 2015 for earnings over £111,377.00 the top tier of contributions is 14.5%.
The NHS also includes a 1995 section and 2008 section of the pension scheme with varying pension ages and varying calculations for reckonable pay. Find out more in the pension section. |