The Problem
Doctors’ London Weighting has been effectively frozen at £2,162 since 2005. Since then, the cost of living and working in London has increased dramatically.
The Doctors’ current London Weighting
Inner London: £2,162
Outer London: £527
Fringe: £149
House prices (up 112%), rent (up 128%), tube prices (up 82%), childcare (up 133%) and other essential costs have risen sharply. But the allowance doctors receive has not kept pace, leaving doctors’ allowance increasingly disconnected from the real costs of working in the capital.
This matters because London Weighting is not just about recruitment and retention. It exists to recognise that doctors working in London face higher costs than doctors doing equivalent work elsewhere in the UK.
At the same time, other NHS staff can receive higher allowances through the HCAS. Doctors should not be left with an outdated London Weighting that no longer reflects London today.
What we are calling for
We are calling for full parity with our NHS colleagues, who receive a higher level of London Weighting for working in high-cost areas, for which doctors should receive the same.
That would mean doctors' current payments of £2,162 for inner London, £527 for outer London and £149 for the fringe being replaced by payments aligned with the equivalent Agenda for Change rates, which would look like this:
Inner London: £8,245
Outer London: £6,137
Fringe: £2,061
Why London Weighting matters
London Weighting exists to recognise the additional costs of living and working in the capital. It should help mitigate the higher costs doctors face compared with colleagues doing equivalent work elsewhere in the UK. The current payment no longer does that.
Why now?
The Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body has recognised the need for stronger evidence and a clearer shared understanding of London Weighting. We are using this opportunity to make the case for a fair, evidence-based increase for doctors working in London.
Top frequently asked questions
The Weighting Game is the BMA London campaign to fix London Weighting for doctors. Doctors working in London face significantly higher living costs than colleagues elsewhere in England, but their London Weighting payment has been effectively frozen for more than 20 years.
London Weighting is an additional payment intended to recognise the higher costs associated with living and working in London. It is separate from basic salary.
Most doctors receive £2,162 a year for Inner London, £527 for Outer London and £149 for the Fringe. These figures have remained unchanged since 2005.
We are asking for full parity with other NHS colleagues, so doctors’ London Weighting properly reflects the additional cost of living and working in London. Once corrected, the payment should also be protected from further real-terms erosion.
Other NHS staff in London receive locality payments that better reflect the additional costs of working in the capital and have been uprated over time. Doctors’ London Weighting has not kept pace, even though doctors face the same London cost pressures.
No. The campaign is specifically about London Weighting, which is separate from national salary. A national pay rise cannot fix a London-specific payment that has been frozen since 2005.
The campaign is for doctors working in London across grades and employment arrangements represented by the BMA, including resident doctors, SAS doctors, consultants, GPs, locally employed doctors and other eligible doctors working in NHS settings in London.
GPs working in London face the same high costs of living and working in the capital. However, GPs have different contractual and funding arrangements, so the way London Weighting could be addressed for GPs may differ. The BMA will provide further information as the campaign develops.
The campaign is being conducted in stages: first, education and awareness; then an indicative ballot to test members’ willingness to take action; and then further organising and decisions about next steps, including whether a statutory ballot is appropriate.
No. An indicative ballot is not the same as a statutory ballot for industrial action. It helps elected BMA representatives understand members’ views and willingness to take further action.
The issue has persisted for more than 20 years. The campaign will combine political pressure, evidence, organising and, if members support it, the possibility of industrial action to build leverage for change.
Sign up, talk to colleagues about London Weighting, share campaign information, speak to your BMA representatives, take part in campaign meetings and encourage colleagues to participate in the indicative ballot. The campaign will only succeed if doctors organise collectively.