Leaders of junior doctors in England are set to begin formal negotiations with the new Labour government on Tuesday
Most people in Great Britain believe that new junior doctors, nurses and health care assistants are underpaid, senior doctors and matrons are paid about right, and NHS CEOs are paid too much, according to a new study.
About half the people surveyed indicated that newly qualified junior doctors are paid too little, with this sentiment increasing to three in five (60 per cent) among Labour voters.
The research conducted by the Policy Institute at King’s College London, King’s Business School, and Ipsos also showed that more people believe NHS staff overall were badly paid than well paid.
Dr Nick Krachler, senior lecturer in Human Resource Management at King’s Business School, said: "Our survey shows considerable alignment between public perceptions of NHS pay levels and the claims of trade unions and professional associations that pay levels – which are determined by government after consultation from a Pay Review Body – are unsatisfactory for frontline NHS roles.”
He highlighted the urgent need to address healthcare workers’ economic wellbeing, hoping that the new government will consider it in its upcoming negotiations with junior doctors this week.
Leaders of 56,000 junior doctors in England are set to begin formal negotiations with the Department of Health and Social Care on Tuesday, aiming to resolve the ongoing dispute over their 35 per cent pay rise claim, which has resulted in 11 strikes since March 2023.
Key findings from the study
The study is based on a survey of 2,251 people aged 16 to 75 in Great Britain, conducted between June 21 and 24.
The findings showed that 47 per cent of respondents who were not given salary information believe newly qualified doctors are underpaid, while 48 per cent of those informed of their true pay of £32,398 a year also think the pay is insufficient.
Labour supporters were significantly more likely than Conservative voters to think junior doctors are underpaid, regardless of whether they are told their true earnings.
Without salary information, 62 per cent of Labour voters said that newly qualified doctors are underpaid, compared to 39 per cent of Conservative voters.
With salary details provided, 58 per cent of Labour voters indicated newly qualified doctors to be underpaid, compared to 40 per cent of Conservative voters.
Furthermore, the study found that the public is more inclined to view NHS staff as underpaid rather than well paid.
Four in ten (39 per cent) people think NHS staff are badly paid, while three in ten (29 per cent) believe they are well paid. Approximately a quarter (26 per cent) feel that NHS staff's pay is neither good nor bad.
Those aged 16 to 24 were more likely to perceive NHS staff as underpaid, with nearly half (46 per cent) sharing this view.
Regardless of whether they are informed about the salary of newly qualified NHS nurses, the participants were most likely to feel they do not earn enough.
Fifty-three per cent of those not given salary information think they are paid too little, while 49 per cent of those informed that the average salary is £28,407 a year also feel the pay is insufficient.
Fifty-one per cent of people who were not informed about the average salary of newly qualified health care assistants—who support nurses and doctors, such as by taking patients' blood—stated that they are underpaid, with the figure increasing to 60 per cent among those who are told that new HCAs earn £22,383 a year.
However, senior doctors, such as hospital consultants, who typically earn £118,884 annually, are generally perceived by the public as being paid appropriately.
Only 15 per cent of those who are not informed about their salary think they are underpaid, compared to 10 per cent of those who are provided with this information. Approximately a quarter of both groups believe that senior doctors are overpaid.
When it comes to the salary of chief executives of the largest NHS hospitals, people tend to think they are overpaid.
When unaware of the salary, 61 per cent of respondents said that they are overpaid, and the view remained nearly unchanged at 64 per cent when they were informed that the average salary is £250,000 a year.
One in six people believe trainee NHS managers aren’t paid enough, but this figure nearly doubles to 30 per cent when the public is informed of their actual salary (£27,701 a year).
The respondents were approximately four times more likely to say there are too many managers in the health service (46 per cent) than to say there are too few (12 per cent).
“This perception of NHS managers may be because the public are less likely to meet NHS managers than doctors, nurses and health care assistants, so are unaware of the work most do behind the scenes,” said Gerry McGivern, professor in Public Services Management & Organisation at King’s Business School.
“Indeed, research suggests that the NHS spends less on management than comparative health systems, so perhaps the NHS needs to better communicate to the public the important and challenging work its managers do,” he added.
According to Anna Quigley, head of Ipsos’ Health and Social Care team, these findings reflect broader public perceptions of NHS workers being overworked, unhappy, and, for some roles, underpaid.
“The public want to see improved working conditions and pay for frontline staff – not only because they think this leads to better care but because they simply want these workers to be more valued.
“The public are also concerned about inefficiency in the NHS, and this is linked to a belief that there are too many managers – but we also know people overestimate how many managers there actually are in the health service,” she noted.
