HC Deb 08 April 1954 vol 526 cc72-4W
Mr. J. N. Browne

asked the Minister of Health whether the Medical Whitley Council have yet reached agreement on the pay of hospital medical staff.

Mr. Iain Macleod

Yes, an agreement has just been reached. Details are given in the following announcement issued by Committee B of the Medical Whitley Council:

Committee B of the Medical Whitley Council have reached agreement on increases in the rates of pay of hospital medical staff which have been in operation since 1948.

The agreement, which has effect from 1st April, includes the following provisions:

  1. (i) The basic scale for consultants is to be £2,100 rising by annual increments of £125 to £3,100. This new scale gives an increase over the 1948 scale of £400 at the minimum and of £350 at the maximum.
  2. (ii) the new basic scale applies to consultants with C distinction awards, who therefore obtain the same increase as consultants without distinction awards.
  3. (iii) The increases for consultants with B and A distinction awards are, however, limited to £150 and £50 respectively.
  4. (iv) The basic scale for senior hospital medical officers is to be £1,500 rising by annual increments of £50 to £1,950, an increase of £200 over the 1948 scale.
  5. (v) Senior registrars will receive £1,100, £1,200, £1,300 or £1,400 according to their year of service, an increase of £100 over the 1948 rates.
  6. (vi) Registrars will receive £850 or £965 according to their year of service, an increase of £75 over the 1948 rates.
  7. (vii) Junior hospital medical officers will receive a scale of £775 rising by annual increments of £50 to £1,075, an increase of £75 over their 1948 scales.
  8. (viii) Senior house officers will receive £745, an increase of £75 over their 1948 salary.
  9. (ix) House officers are to receive an annual rate of £425 for the first, £475 for the second, and £525 for the third and subsequent posts, an increase of £75 over the 1948 rates, but the annual charge made to them for residence is to be increased by £25.
  10. (x) A maximum of ¾ of a session is to be placed on the weighting that part-time consultants and senior hospital medical officers are allowed when their salaries are calculated. This replaces the present maximum weighting of 1¼ sessions.
  11. (xi) There is a protection against any individual losing pay on the coming into operation of the new agreement.

The details of the new arrangements are being worked out by the two sides of Committee B, and the full agreement will be transmitted to the Minister of Health and the Secretary of State for Scotland as soon as it is ready. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have told the Committee that we are prepared to approve this agreement. We estimate its cost at about £3¼ million in a full year.