BMA Cymru Wales Chair Dr Iona Collins said:
"Pay restoration is finally a shared goal and we should celebrate this.
"The enhanced pay offer for 22/23 marks the beginning of what we need to invest in staff and improve working conditions for the sake of both patients and staff alike.
“There is still a great deal of work to be done to get a fairer deal for doctors in Wales and we are pleased the Welsh Government has agreed that talks will start immediately on the pay award for the 23/24 pay year.
“Our priorities will include ensuring the Welsh Government achieve their commitment of pay restoration. The next step will be for Welsh Government to confirm a timeline for restoring pay which, for some doctors, has been cut by 26% in real terms since 2008.
“Pay restoration, however, must include the entire medical workforce in order to retain our existing staff. We cannot overlook the essential work done by GPs, who provide over 80% of all NHS healthcare.
"Primary care has been financially squeezed and without investment, we will continue to see GPs taking early retirement or returning their contracts. We will suffer longer waits to see GPs with fewer doctors available to deliver care. Fewer GPs will cause even greater pressure on hospitals, which are already overwhelmed. Urgent discussions continue with the Welsh Government as we press for equivalent investment for hard working staff in primary care"
Notes to editors
- The Welsh Junior Doctors Committee voted to reject the offer, however the overall position that BMA Cymru Wales adopted was to accept it, based on votes cast by the Welsh Staff, Associate Specialist and Specialty Doctors Committee and the Welsh Consultants committee
- In November 2022 the Welsh Junior Doctors Committee voted to align with the BMA’s UK position established at the 2022 Annual Representative Meeting, to achieve pay restoration to 2007 value for its members within the next five years or sooner and to evidence its progress against this aim at every ARM until restoration is achieved
- Years of sub-inflationary pay adjustments mean that since 2008, junior doctors have seen their pay cut by 26.1% in real terms