News / Society

'Senior BMA doctors given secret pay rise in UK'

Monday, 08 June 2015 2:04 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 08 June 2015 2:04 PM ]

BMA doctors reportedly received secret pay rises.

Confidential documents have revealed staggering secret pay hikes of up to 137% for senior members of the UK’s doctors’ union, the British Medical Association (BMA).

The BMA papers show how the doctors’ union awarded its senior figures pay rises of up to 137% and doubled its leader’s salary to £172,000 at a time, causing anger among other members.

The astounding figures given to seven key BMA representatives have been condemned and described as “extraordinary, over the top and unjustified” by other doctors and British politicians.

The BMA’s council chairman and main spokesman, Mark Porter has benefited most from the pay rises which saw his salary rise 94% from £88,320 last year to £171,692. The BMA chair in Scotland, Peter Bennie saw the biggest pay rise with 137% increase from £32,305 to £76,431 while Philip Banfield in Wales received a 99% increase from £31,500 to £62,631.

Meantime, Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat leadership candidate who was previously a health minister said: “How can they do this at a time when all the people they represent are having to accept the consequences of significant restraint and often real terms reductions in their pay?”

“The best thing is [for the BMA] to rethink this and go back to the original levels of 2014, which in the chair of council’s case [£88,320] is still significantly above an MP’s salary [£67,060]”, he said.

BMA members have also weighed in on the new revelations. “This is scandalous. You shouldn’t accept such big hikes when your members are really struggling and not getting a penny. This was morally wrong,” said one BMA council member. Another said: “There was significant dissent among council members uneasy about this.” A third said that although the posts did involve time-consuming workloads, the increases were still too big.

“Awarding huge salary increases in secret to very senior members of the BMA, at a time of pay restraint in the health service, is misguided and wrong, and does a disservice to doctors around the country working hard for their patients. Instead of attacking our plans to ensure everyone can get a GP appointment seven days a week, the BMA should get its own house in order,” an undisclosed government source said.

SU/GHN

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