Doctors settle for 2.4% rise

Jersey’s doctors have negotiated an accumulated pay rise of 9% over three years and the BMA in Guernsey will be looking to re-negotiate its deal imminently.

Consultants, associate specialists and specialty doctors employed by the States have agreed to the rise after several years of ‘stagnating and eroded pay rates’.

In Jersey, under the terms secured by the local negotiating committee and the BMA, pay for consultants in 2017/18 will be increased by 3% , rising to 3.5% in 2018/19 and 5% in 2019/20.

A spokesman for the Guernsey BMA said that part of the reason behind the deal was that doctors in Guernsey wanted to settle the increase by the start of April.

‘The Guernsey doctors are pleased to have an increase but mindful that the Jersey increase, which is over three years, is greater,’ he said.

‘Jersey is our closest competitor in terms of medical recruitment and we need to be competitive. You have to leave the NHS pension to move to the Channel Islands.

‘I think partly what we’ll need to do is look at changing the terms of the deal, we’ll be negotiating shortly.’