Apr 12 2005
Under new contracts which will come into force this June, UK doctors in training will find it easier to work less than full time.
The British Medical Association says the move should boost the NHS workforce by doubling the numbers of part-time junior doctors in three to five years. Only one in 20 trains flexibly now, but more would like to, many are women with families, and want a better work-life balance and this demand is likely to increase in the next 10 years, when female doctors are set to outnumber men.
In the past NHS trusts have been reluctant to employ flexible trainees because paying them overtime for antisocial or "out-of-hours" work is too expensive because part-time doctors have been paid the same basic salary as a full-time doctor plus a supplement of between 5% and 25% on top if the work is out-of- hours. Under the new contract, salary will be more closely based on total hours of work and flexible trainees will receive supplements to recognise out-of-hours work.
Gill Bellord, head of pay and negotiations at NHS Employers says their basic pay will be determined by the actual hours of work done and the supplement will be paid as a proportion of the calculated basic salary.This should bring hourly rates of pay in line with those of full-time trainees.
This could mean that some part-time doctors' wages would go down under the new scheme but the Department of Health has promised pay protection for these doctors so they do not lose out. Those whose pay would not go up under the new system will have their pay protected at current levels.
Mr Simon Eccles, chair of the BMA's Junior Doctors Committee, says the new contract, negotiated by the BMA and NHS Employers, should removed a large disincentive to work in the NHS as poor work-life balance can be a nightmare for junior doctors and many, especially those with families, would be forced to leave the NHS if they did not have access to flexible training.
Eccles is delighted that the NHS has made this commitment to retaining staff and improving junior doctors' working lives.
Gill Bellord, head of pay and negotiations at NHS Employers, says improving the working lives of staff is vital to the NHS, and the new contract will encourage NHS trusts to offer flexible training opportunities to more junior doctors who cannot work full-time.
Bellord says they also expect NHS trusts to offer more family-friendly training opportunities for full-time junior doctors, including help with childcare and the option of working hours to fit in with family life.