Teachers and doctors in England given 4% pay rise

Most doctors and teachers in England have been handed a 4% pay rise after the government accepted recommendations from pay review bodies.

The awards are higher than the 2.8% it previously budgeted for, with ministers saying most of the remainder will have to come from existing budgets.

Education unions have broadly welcomed the decision, while warning of cuts to school budgets without extra funding to cover costs.

But health unions have reacted angrily after a smaller rise of 3.6% was offered for NHS staff other than doctors, including nurses and midwives.

The health department says junior doctors, now known as resident doctors, will get an average rise of 5.4% due to a £750 top-up.

But the British Medical Association called the rise “woefully inadequate” and confirmed it plans to ballot resident doctors next week over possible strike action.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said it was “grotesque” that nurses had been offered a smaller rise than doctors, adding the “failed” pay review body process “keeps nursing staff weighted to the bottom”.

General secretary Nicola Ranger said it would be up to their members to “ultimately decide if it is enough and whether they feel valued”.

A series of announcements on Thursday confirmed:

• a 4% headline award for doctors, dentists, and teachers in England, as well as prison officers in England and Wales
• a 3.6% rise for NHS staff in England on Agenda for Change contracts, including nurses and midwives
• a 3.25% rise for civil servants, including senior civil servants
• a 4.5% rise for members of the UK armed forces, with 3.75% for senior military staff.

Inflation unexpectedly rose to 3.5% in the year to April, complicating perceptions of how generous the offers are.

The PCS union, which represents civil servants below the senior ranks, contrasted the latest figure with their proposed 3.25% offer.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the pay award for nurses as “above inflation”, although the RCN insisted it would be “entirely swallowed up” by price rises.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies, a think tank, said the 4% offer for teachers was “likely to represent small real-terms rise,” given official economic forecasters were predicting 3.2% inflation for this financial year.

The rises come after ministers accepted proposals from a series of pay review bodies, which are tasked with recommending pay awards for around 45% of people working in the public sector.

The education department has announced an additional £615m to cover the rises above the 2.8% previously set aside by the Treasury.

But it said schools would be asked to partially fund the awards through “improved productivity and smarter spending”.

The National Education Union, which represents teachers, said the award was “not fully funded” and it could lead to “cuts in service provision” for many schools.

The health department insisted it would be able to avoid cuts to “frontline services” when finding extra cash for the rises.

It cited reduced use of temporary staff, cutting “duplication and waste”, and its plan to abolish NHS England as areas where money could be found.

Labour ended long-running public sector strikes last summer by accepting recommended pay rises between 4.75% and 6% for last year.

Ministers argued the move was required to stop damage to the economy – but it led to Conservative accusations they had lost control of public sector pay.