NHS consultants have reached a potentially strike-ending deal with ministers, the Department of Health and Social Care has said.
Thousands of top doctors have been holding industrial action since July, bringing hospitals to a standstill with each walkout.
“Intense” talks finally made a breakthrough over the weekend and unions have agreed a deal in principle.
It will boost their pay and make it easier to move up through the pay scales.
The British Medical Association (BMA) and Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) will put the offer to their members for a vote in the coming weeks.
It consists of a 4.95 per cent pay increase from January, on top of the six per cent uplift already awarded this year.
Consultants would reach the top of the pay scale five years sooner than under the current scheme.
The government said the deal “modernises the consultant contract and reform consultants’ pay structure”.
If the offer is accepted, the BMA has agreed to call an end to strike action.
Dr Vishal Sharma, BMA consultants committee chair, said: “We are pleased that after a month of intense talks and more than six months of strike action we never wanted to take, we have now got an offer we can put to members.
“It is a huge shame that it has needed consultants to take industrial action to get the Government to this point when we called for talks many months ago.
“The 4.95 per cent investment and much-needed changes to the pay scale system come after we successfully persuaded the government to reform the punitive pension taxation laws earlier this year, and we also now have commitments to reforming the pay review process, which has been a key ask from the profession throughout our dispute.
“Only by restoring the independence of this process can we hope to restore consultant pay over the coming years.
“How each consultant will benefit will depend on their individual circumstances, and we will be providing them with as much detail as we can, so they are able to look carefully through the details to help them decide whether to accept the offer.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Ending damaging strike action in the NHS is vitally important if we want to continue making progress towards cutting waiting lists while making sure patients get the care they deserve.
“This is a fair deal for consultants who will benefit from major reform to their contract, it is fair for taxpayers because it will not risk our ongoing work to tackle inflation, and most importantly it is a good deal for patients to see the end of consultant industrial action.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins added: “I hugely value the work of NHS consultants and am pleased that we have been able to make this fair and reasonable offer after weeks of constructive negotiations.
“If accepted, it will modernise pay structures, directly addressing gender pay issues in the NHS. It will also enhance consultants’ parental leave options.
“Putting an end to this strike action will support our efforts to bring down waiting lists and offer patients the highest quality care.”
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