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Original poster

£14 an hour for a doctor ?!

161 replies

gardenlife · 15/04/2023 07:26

Junior doctor says she can't afford to start family www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-65275409

Wait hang on - the article shows the payslip and this doctor is only on £14 an hour. Having to lay in excess of £1600 for their own exams.

That's not much more than minimum wage is it? Yes she has £80k plus debt from studies.

I agree with minimum wage being increased but this is closing the gap between non professional jobs and professionals

Surely they deserve more?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Elfandwellbeing · 15/04/2023 07:32

Really !?? My cleaner charges £15 pph. Of course it’s ridiculous.. if it’s true.

thesmee · 15/04/2023 07:33

An F1 doctor posted their payslip on TikTok from covid to show how low it was. It was about £1900 net a month, which is my take-home pay as on something like £36,000 (have lost track). I don't disagree they're underpaid, and there is a recruitment and retention crisis so clearly something needs to be done, but I think the £14 an hour is disingenuous. They get more for unsociable hours etc. A year or two after they graduated, all my doctor friends and family were earning in 3 days what I did in 5, in another professional job. It's not anywhere near enough, but it's hardly NMW.

Whiskyinajar · 15/04/2023 07:41

A doctor posted their wage slip on Twitter. Another doctor who was the same grade 10 yrs ago posted his pay slip from that time. ...there was scarcely any difference, about £8 if that.

My friend's husband is a junior doctor. He's paying for all his exams etc but once that's all done they will be off. Why would they stay? He did his basic medical training in India so he owes us nothing. They love the UK but say they cannot afford to stay here long term. Bloody good luck to them and any other junior doctor dealing with all this.

LotsOfBalloons · 15/04/2023 07:42

Ah so the average junior dr in the first 4 bands earns 43k in basic pay and significantly more if you add in the other pay. That's quite a different spin.

LibrariansGiveUsPower · 15/04/2023 07:44

So in the first year of employment they are paid a minimum base of £30,000 plus overtime available?

I know they work hard, train hard, but is that really such a bad starting rate? Many of us have degrees and PhDs and are only earning that after 10 years in other sectors and are providing for families. Junior doctors are on a course to earn significantly more than that.

Basildeleaf · 15/04/2023 07:47

...and their progression is very fast. From what I read, after three years to four years, they could be on £70k - not bad in your mid 20s.

Twocoffeesisbetterthanone · 15/04/2023 07:50

I'm so confused about the whole thing.

All I do know is that TAs and Dr's shouldn't be getting paid a similar amount.

Clusterfunk · 15/04/2023 07:50

I’ll start this post by saying I support them asking for a better wage (but their current demands are massively unrealistic) and they definitely need better working conditions and more support.

However, most of the junior Drs I’ve worked with made more money than me within two years of graduating. I’m a hospital specialist professional, a first speciality degree and a masters degree, and I also have to pay for all my own exams etc. I make decent money for my job, no complaints, but their earning potential rapidly increases. I don’t begrudge them that as they slog their guts out for the first few years, but I think that needs to change (the slogging but). Conditions for the first two years after they qualify in particular are awful for them.

Also, some of the reason their wages look lower are the NHS pension contributions. That’s a huge long term benefit. My student loans and pension took a massive chunk out of my wage for the first ten years but it was worth it now I see the pension pot.

I guess what I’m saying is I support them, but I don’t think their demands are realistic and I think the case presented to the public isn’t as straightforward as it seems.

LotsOfBalloons · 15/04/2023 07:51

Really not bad. Not many other jobs do that. And it's a million miles away from teachers, nurses, other hc professionals etc (which for the responsibility it should be - just it really isn't bad!)

LotsOfBalloons · 15/04/2023 07:52

Twocoffees No TA will earn 70k within a few years. Or an average of 43k within first few.

Grumpsy · 15/04/2023 07:52

LibrariansGiveUsPower · 15/04/2023 07:44

So in the first year of employment they are paid a minimum base of £30,000 plus overtime available?

I know they work hard, train hard, but is that really such a bad starting rate? Many of us have degrees and PhDs and are only earning that after 10 years in other sectors and are providing for families. Junior doctors are on a course to earn significantly more than that.

Most of us don’t have people’s lives in our hands and the associated stress. Or the antisocial hours and difficulty of shift work.

of course they’re not paid enough for what they do, and I can’t blame them for leaving in their droves for countries that pay them properly.

backinthebox · 15/04/2023 07:52

A newly qualified pilot would be on a similar salary, with over £100000 training fees debt. It’s not a great position to be in, but only a fool would be thinking about planning a baby in their first after qualifying when they know their salary will rise rapidly (which is another way pilots and doctors are similar.) I have a great deal of sympathy with anyone on a low wage who is due a proper rise to combat degradation of salary due to inflation, especially when they are highly but specifically qualified to do one particular job. But to use the example they’d have to wait to have a baby lowers the impact of their campaign.

birminghampicnic · 15/04/2023 07:54

thesmee · 15/04/2023 07:33

An F1 doctor posted their payslip on TikTok from covid to show how low it was. It was about £1900 net a month, which is my take-home pay as on something like £36,000 (have lost track). I don't disagree they're underpaid, and there is a recruitment and retention crisis so clearly something needs to be done, but I think the £14 an hour is disingenuous. They get more for unsociable hours etc. A year or two after they graduated, all my doctor friends and family were earning in 3 days what I did in 5, in another professional job. It's not anywhere near enough, but it's hardly NMW.

Yes I know similar people , struggled a bit at first but after a few years have a massive jump in earnings ….

Everyone has to start at the bottom and of this is your chosen career you need to just get in with it for the longer term benefits

Inthesamesinkingboat · 15/04/2023 07:54

She can’t afford to start a family? She’s in her very first year of work, no one can afford to plan for a family at that stage!!!

halfsiesonapotnoodle · 15/04/2023 07:54

Elfandwellbeing · 15/04/2023 07:32

Really !?? My cleaner charges £15 pph. Of course it’s ridiculous.. if it’s true.

But that's not her actual hourly wage, is it? That needs to cover driving between clients so all vehicle costs, petrol, time travelling etc, insurance, equipment and replacing disposable items, income when she's off sick, on holiday etc.

Twocoffeesisbetterthanone · 15/04/2023 07:54

LotsOfBalloons · 15/04/2023 07:52

Twocoffees No TA will earn 70k within a few years. Or an average of 43k within first few.

Can you imagine 😂

I mean the £14 per hour bit. I live next door to junior doctors, lovely guys but considering all the new cars on the driveway - I'm not sure if £14 is an accurate representation. They're F1s.

The media eh. They love a story....

x2boys · 15/04/2023 07:59

I dont disagree Drs are underpaid but the term junior Dr covers everyone from someone who is just out of medical school to a senior registrar ,the latter of which could have ten or more years experience and will obviously be paid significantly more than the former

Northernsoullover · 15/04/2023 08:00

I live opposite two junior doctors. Of course they could have been given parental help but I know what the house cost (they recently bought it) and yes they do have two very nice cars. I know I'll get slated for saying that but I don't care.
The conditions they train in are dreadful though and something needs to change.
I'm a professional and I will have to pay out of pocket for my chartered status. The most I'll earn is 43k. I'm in an essential service too.

Farmerama1 · 15/04/2023 08:02

In a free market for Labour, the demand for these skills is international and post covid, there are shortages of of medical professionals. If we want a functioning health service, pay and conditions must be globally competitive.

Soontobe60 · 15/04/2023 08:04

Grumpsy · 15/04/2023 07:52

Most of us don’t have people’s lives in our hands and the associated stress. Or the antisocial hours and difficulty of shift work.

of course they’re not paid enough for what they do, and I can’t blame them for leaving in their droves for countries that pay them properly.

Show quote history

Junior doctors get additional pay for working overtime and unsocial hours. I’m a teacher, I’ve never been paid extra for working overtime or unsociable hours.

Marchitectmummy · 15/04/2023 08:06

The gap between the pay of a junior doctor and a consultant in my view is the issue here.

ArtimisGame · 15/04/2023 08:08

Farmerama1 · 15/04/2023 08:02

In a free market for Labour, the demand for these skills is international and post covid, there are shortages of of medical professionals. If we want a functioning health service, pay and conditions must be globally competitive.

Agreed, it’s really that simple. You can’t pay lower than the market rate and expect free people to fill those positions.

Beseen22 · 15/04/2023 08:08

I don't think that people should compare salary with antisocial hours added and say oh they get a fair amount. If your boss came to you and said "love your work but we are switching to nightshift now" would you not expect a massive uplift for working nights? In every industry unsocial hours are compensated for because people who work nights will statistically die younger.

TheFrenchLady · 15/04/2023 08:09

There should be a gap between what a junior doctor earns and what a consultant earns. The clue is in the name. £14 an hour my arse! EVEN if it was true, they'll be earning a damn sight more than most in a couple of years.

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