Fee settlement for forensic physicians
March 2006
A 3% pay rise for forensic physicians was announced on Tuesday 20 March 2006.
Under the new agreement between the BMA and bodies representing employers, their pay has risen by 3% for 2006/7 and will rise by a further 3% for 2007/8.
The BMA’s Forensic Medicine Committee, the Association of Police Authorities, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, Association of Chief Police Officers, Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland) and the Scottish Executive Justice Department organise the election of representatives to the Joint Negotiating Committee, which negotiates UK-wide fees for Forensic Physicians. The employers’ side acts on behalf of managers and elected local authority representatives.
Commenting on the agreement, Dr George Fernie, chair of the BMA’s Forensic Medicine Committee, said:
“There simply aren’t enough doctors taking on work in police stations, which is mainly the result of poor pay compared to other branches of the medical profession. We welcome this increase, which will provide stability for both forensic physicians and local authorities. However, it will only go some way to addressing recruitment and retention problems, and the BMA will continue to campaign for fairer remuneration for forensic physicians.”
The BMA will meet with employers later this year to discuss the differences between forensic physicians pay and that of GPs and consultants. The possibility of a link with NHS doctors’ salaries will be discussed.