Permanent contracts from August 2026

This offer will see:

LEDs will begin to be moved onto permanent contracts from August 2026

That means employers will be expected to convert LEDs to permanent contracts from August 2026.

Training number expansion is from 2027.

No conversion of LED roles would occur prior to August 2027

That means, if the deal is accepted, no LED jobs would be converted (from being an LED role to being a training role) this year. Permanent contracts would begin from August 2026.

Doctors with permanent (substantive) contracts would not have to reapply for their jobs each year.

It would also mean that if a doctor has a permanent contract, their role could not be converted as the Government has stated in the offer: “No LED contract will be terminated early as a result of job conversion into training posts.” As a permanent contract is permanent (and does not finish as current fixed term ones do), it could not be converted whilst doctors are in those roles.

In addition, a permanent contract does not mean a doctor must stay in that role permanently – they can leave at a time of their choosing (whether it be for a new LED job, or to enter training), following the relevant notice periods.

If accepted, it would end the cycle of reapplying for your own job every 6-12 months, which no other healthcare professional has to do.

This is from the offer document and the basis on which we will fight for you.

Pay progression for LEDs

Currently, almost all LED jobs are marketed as one of three options:

– ST1 level pay

– ST3 level pay

– 2002 contracts

Almost none offer pay progression.

LEDs would be offered the opportunity to progress their pay whilst working in their role following their appraisal.

That means if this offer is rejected, an LED working at an ST3 would continue to be paid at the ST3 nodal point for the next few years, regardless of appraisal outcome. This means an LED would be earning £67,325 (plus the DDRB uplift in 2027) across the next 18 months.

If this offer is accepted, an LED working at an ST3 would have the opportunity to progress to the ST4 nodal point (a 3.1% increase from April), and the ST5 nodal point (a 6.3% increase). This means an LED could be earning £71,415 instead of £67,325 within 18 months (plus the DDRB uplift in 2027).

2016 terms and conditions

All LEDs would be offered new national terms and conditions, which represent all non-training parts of the 2016 contract.

This would be optional and would be up to each individual resident doctor.

The BMA would also negotiate a pay protection mechanism to ensure that no LED who wanted to move to the new contract from 2002 terms would face a pay drop.

If you remain on the 2002 contract, your payscale would increase by the DDRB uplift.

In numbers…

There are around 28,000 LEDs in England

There are currently around 9,100 ST1 training places in England each year.

There are approximately 8,000 F2s each year.

The 4,500 extra training number split is as follows:

1,000 in 2027

Up to 1,750 (min 1,500) in 2028

Up to 1,750 (min 1,500) in 2029

This means:

In 2027, there would be 10,100 training posts – 2,100 more than the number of F2s (and note not every F2 enters training).

In 2028, there would be (up to) 10,850 training posts – 2,850 more than the number of F2s.

In 2029, there would be (up to) 10,850 training posts – 2,850 more than the number of F2s.

This means a minimum of 2,100-2,850 non-FY2 doctors (who would be primarily LEDs, by assumption) would enter training at the core level each year.

To note, this is illustrative as not all posts would be at core level. If, for example, 750 were at higher level in 2028 and 2029, there would be 2,100 more training posts than the number of F2s in each year. This split between core/ higher is not yet known, hence this is illustrative.

Not every new training number will be a converted LED post. Hypothetically, if they were (illustrating a theoretical worst-case scenario, alongside all F2s moving into training):

In 2027, 2,100 LEDs could move from LED posts into training (1,350 more than the maximum number of LED posts converted).

In 2028, 2,850 LEDs could move from LED posts into training (1,100 more than the maximum number of LED posts converted).

In 2029, 2,850 LEDs could move from LED posts into training (1,100 more than the maximum number of LED posts converted).

Using these assumptions, that means an absolute maximum of 4,250 posts converted (again, this number will be lower), but 7,800 more doctors (excluding F2s) will have entered training over that same period of time.

The detail ...

There is no information on the detail of the specialty split, or geographical split, as part of the Government’s offer.

As part of the offer, the Government have offered a place in the distribution group which decides where the training places will be allocated. This place would not have a veto power.

Beyond this, the Government have supplied no information about the new specialty training posts.

Have your say

You now choose whether this offer is enough.

Vote YES to accept this offer on permanent contracts for LEDs, 2016 terms and pay scale reform.

Or vote NO to reject this offer, take part in escalated action, start the reballot process and see further action into the autumn.

The referendum is now open and it will close at noon on Friday 26 June.

Please look out for an email from Civica with your voting link. Any issues receiving it, please contact [email protected]

You will only be able to vote once, and you cannot change your vote once it has been cast.

In solidarity,

Jack Fletcher

BMA UK resident doctors committee chair