The government has announced a 2025–26 pay award of 4% for NHS consultants and SAS doctors in England.

Every day, consultants and SAS doctors manage complex cases, make difficult decisions and handle life and death situations. The work we do is not worth less than it was 10 years ago.

We are not worth less.

Consultants have experienced greater pay erosion than any other NHS staff group. The agreement previously negotiated with the government by HCSA and other trade unions was an initial step on the road to reversing pay erosion. Now we need to see further decisive progress.

SAS doctors have been overlooked for too long. For many of us, moving to a new contract after 2021 worsened our pay erosion and multiyear deals left us locked out of national pay awards. It is time for definitive and lasting progress on SAS pay.

The 4% 2025–26 pay award compares to an RPI inflation figure for April of 4.5%. It is in effect a real-terms pay cut for senior doctors.

With average private sector pay rises running at 5.6% according to the ONS, it also risks further undermining the attractiveness of the medical profession.