Doctors threaten to strike over four per cent pay rise

Doctors are threatening strike action despite being given an above-inflation 4 per cent pay increase, claiming that it does not go far enough in restoring historical pay freezes.

- HOLLY EVANS

Ministers announced the increases after the latest review of the public sector pay, with other NHS workers such as nurses, midwives and physiotherapists receiving a 3.6 per cent increase.

Teachers have also threatened to “register a dispute” over their 4 per cent increase, which will only partly be covered by the Labour government, with the rest to be covered by existing school budgets.

An additional £615m of funding will be provided to schools this financial year to help them with the costs of pay awards for staff, roughly equivalent to three-quarters of the pay rise.

Schools will be required to fund the remaining quarter of the pay rise through “improved productivity and smarter spending”, according to Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary.