HCSA - the hospital doctors' union has announced a consultative vote of members in England after their 2025-6 pay award was published by the government.
The union's president Dr Naru Narayanan labelled the award "a real-terms pay cut for senior doctors," while its Resident Doctors' Committee chair Dr Matt Church said the failure to make meaningful steps towards restoring pay "smacks of complacency from the government."
2025-6 Headline award
| Contract group |
Pay award |
| Consultants |
4% |
| SAS doctors |
4% |
| Resident doctors |
4% + £750 |
The government intends for this pay award to be backdated to April and has informed HCSA it would be reflected in members’ August or September pay slips.
Following complaints from HCSA and in line with agreements to end industrial action last year, it has also committed to speed up the pay round for 2026-7 by starting the process in July.
DDRB recommendations
The DDRB has also made three further recommendations that are directly relevant to hospital doctors:
- A separate pay framework for locally employed doctors
- The review of flexible pay premia in England
- Increases in the value of National Clinical Impact Awards (NCIAs) to £10,500, £21,500, £31,400 and £42,000.
The government has yet to decide whether it will accept these three further recommendations. HCSA will provide further information to members as soon as it is available.
HCSA response
Dr Narayanan said: “Let us be clear. Today’s announcement represents a real-terms pay cut for senior doctors compared to inflation.
“With private-sector rises running at well over 5 percent it also further undermines the attractiveness of the medical profession to future doctors.
“While resident grades have fared slightly better, this award fails to answer the just call for pay restoration for all hospital doctors. Lower pay is baked in to pensions for the long term. This has an even bigger effect on residents who are in a CARE scheme rather than final salary.
“As a democratic union our next steps shall be guided by HCSA members. That’s why our National Executive Committee has authorised me to consult members in England, including on industrial action.”
Dr Church said: “The DDRB and government have failed to read the room by choosing to ignore resident doctors’ clear and longstanding call for pay restoration. We are not worth less than our colleagues were in 2008.
“This is an award that sits just above inflation and so is simply treading water. It offers no road map towards reversing years of real-terms wage cuts.
“It smacks of complacency from the government – and with the NHS struggling to attract and retain talented staff, the government cannot afford to be complacent.
“In the interests of retention, recruitment and the future of NHS care, we shall now be consulting resident doctors in England on industrial action over pay.
“HCSA resident doctors shall also immediately begin preparations for a formal strike ballot in the event that members show support for such a step.”
The consultative will open next week for all grades of HCSA member in England.