Greedy temporary doctors trying to ‘really hurt’ NHS with threat to walk out as they demand 50 per cent pay rise
Agency medics are demanding up to 50 per cent more pay to compensate for tax changes
GREEDY temp doctors are aiming to “really hurt” hospitals by threatening to walk out over pay, a NHS boss warns.
Agency medics want up to 50 per cent extra to compensate for new rules that force trusts to deduct their tax and national insurance. Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS Improvement, told the Health Service
Journal: “There was a very organised campaign to say, ‘Let’s make this really hurt and threaten very hard’.
It is intended to stop them being paid through personal service companies with lower tax liabilities.
Medics claim they will lose out by up to 30 per cent.
Several have now demanded extra cash to cover their losses – or will walk out, leaving wards short-staffed.
Mr Mackey said NHS trusts are “trying to not blink”.
Speaking to the Health Service Journal, he said: “I think most of the noise is planted by the people who are personally going to financially benefit by us saying we’re not going to do it.
“There was an example over the weekend where there was a very organised campaign amongst the doctors to say let’s make this really hurt and threaten very hard.
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“I don’t know how they’re on the register as doctors - if that’s doctor behaviour I don’t know how that will work.”
Some hospitals revived emergency plans made during last year’s junior doctors’ strike to deal with potential staff shortages.
One NHS finance director said: “It is akin to a Mexican stand-off. Some locums have been asking for between 30 and 50 per cent price uplifts.”
But Mr Mackey said hospitals must stand firm unless patient safety is put at risk.
An NHS Improvement spokesman said: “The NHS shouldn’t be picking up the tax liability or costs for individual agency staff.
“That’s not fair or right for patients and goes against the grain of what we know many nurses and doctors believe in.”