Senior doctors are charging the NHS premium rates for overtime, as pressure to cut waiting lists is allowing some to make more than £200,000 a year from additional work, a BBC News investigation has found. That is nearly double the average basic pay for a full-time consultant in England. Many of the consultants earning the most are thought to be part-time, allowing them to work significant amounts of overtime for rates exceeding £200 an hour – more than four times normal pay.
NHS England said hospitals had to offer rates that were competitive with the private sector. But the British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors' union, pointed out the NHS would not have to rely so much on overtime were it not for staffing shortages. And hospitals said covering for strike days and sickness had also been factors.
The findings come as the government invests more money in the NHS, to increase the number of appointments and operations it can offer – a key election promise made by Labour. As part of the Budget, the chancellor said the NHS would receive an extra £25bn this year and next – with reducing waits a priority. A key part of Labour’s plan is for staff to work evenings and weekends, to cut the backlog.
But the BBC News investigation raises concerns about whether this approach can deliver value for money. One senior NHS source said: “Consultants hold all the cards – they know we cannot make progress on the backlog without them." The source said consultants were in a ".