Junior doctor

Junior doctors in the United Kingdom are those in postgraduate training, starting at graduation with a medical degree and culminating in a post as a Consultant, a General Practitioner, or some other non-training post, such as a Staff grade or Associate Specialist post. The term "junior doctor" might be considered misleading. It includes skilled doctors with years of National Health Service experience of treating patients.

The ways in which these doctors work and train is undergoing significant changes in the UK. Average hours worked per week are falling as a result of pressures from junior doctors themselves and concerns about fatigue resulting in medical mistakes. In 1991 the government, the NHS and the British Medical Association agreed a package of measures on working hours, pay and conditions which was called the New Deal for Junior Doctors. This restricted these doctors' hours to a maximum average of 56 hours actual work and 72 hours on call duty per week, although it was not enforced until December 1st 2000. The European Working Time Directive requires the average working week to fall to 48 hours or less by 2009.

The shortening of junior doctors' working hours means that the quantity of experience they can gain during training is less, although the quality is higher as to lower fatigue levels enable superior mental retention of skills and experiences.

New and extended roles in other clinical professions are blurring demarcation between what a doctor and, for example, some nurses can do. Shorter duty shifts demand closer teamwork across professions and effective handovers. Medicine is becoming more specialised, but more cross-cover between specialities at night is needed to preserve doctors' working time during days and evenings, when most patient care and learning under supervision takes place.

The number of years of postgraduate training is set to reduce under the plans for Modernising Medical Careers, which will require doctors to decide which speciality to follow sooner after graduation.

The interaction with health care managers (who are not usually doctors in the UK) has changed during recent years to involve doctors in the running of hospital speciality groups and community-based practice. More developed leadership and financial training is required to equip doctors with the skills to manage budgets and responsibilities.

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The income of a junior doctor consists of a base salary plus a banded supplement based on the intensity of the work and working more than 40 hours a week. In 2008 the base salary was £21,862 for the most junior hospital doctor post (foundation year 1), and £27,116 for foundation year 2. The most common banding supplement is 50%, which provides an actual income for most junior doctors of £32,793 in foundation year 1, and £40,674 in foundation year 2.cite web|accessdate=2007-08-02|url=http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=553|title=Pay for doctors|publisher=NHS Careers] A junior doctor in specialist training on a 50% supplement will earn from £43,464 to £68,343. In 2005, the average starting salary for a medical graduate was £32,086 [cite web|date=2005-10-01|accessdate=2007-08-02|url=http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/ddrbev2005~annex1|title=Memorandum of evidence to the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration. Annex 1 - A comparison of graduate earnings|publisher=British Medical Association] .

According to the British Medical Association, junior doctors have a lower starting salary than the average for graduates on other courses despite longer training. [Cite web | last = BMA | title = Memorandum of evidence to the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration, September 2007 | accessdate = 2008-06-16 | url = http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/DDRBevidence2007]

As of 2008, first year junior doctors are no longer automatically entitled to free accommodation at their hospital.cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7415474.stm|title=Doctors in accommodation protest|date=2008-05-22|publisher=BBC News] The British Medical Association claim this amounts to a £4,800 annual pay cut. Matthew Izett, a third year student doctor and British Medical Association rep said: "This accommodation makes up a significant proportion of the financial incentive for first-year junior doctors and we've taken what is effectively a 20% pay cut for junior doctors next year." The Department of Health have stated "Changes to the working patterns of junior doctors and new rotas make it unnecessary for them to be 'on call' meaning there is no residency requirement. It is therefore the case that free accommodation for junior doctors has not been a necessity for some time." Ann Keen, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health Services, stated "The provision of free accommodation for foundation year 1 doctors who are on-call at night, is dependent on the contract of employment of the junior doctor, which is for agreement locally. The Junior Doctors Terms and Conditions of Service continue to provide that if a doctor is contractually required to live in hospital accommodation no charges should be made for the accommodation provided." [cite web|url=http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2008-06-03a.207297.h|title=Written answers: Junior Doctors: Accommodation|publisher=They Work For You|date=2008-06-03]

After 5 years the average junior doctor will have advanced to specialist registrar grade, earning an average salary of £48,000.Fact|date=August 2008

ee also

* Senior house officer

References

External links

* [http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HumanResourcesAndTraining/ModernisingPay/JuniorDoctorContracts/fs/en The junior doctors' contract]
* [http://www.mmc.nhs.uk/pages/home Modernising Medical Careers]
* [http://www.idwl.info/ Improving Doctors' Working Lives] - legislation, links and developments
* http://www.nhsemployers.org/pay-conditions/pay-conditions-357.cfm - contract and pay details
* http://www.healthcareworkforce.nhs.uk/TowardsWTDConference/default.aspx - achieving EWTD 2009 target
* [http://www.123doc.com/foundationyearmasterclass.php Masterclass for Junior Doctors wanting to develop their skills and competencies]