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Hospital doctor : Salary and conditions

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  1. Job description
  2. Salary and conditions
  3. Entry requirements
  4. Training
  5. Career development
  6. Employers and vacancy …
  7. Related jobs

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Case studies

  • Junior doctors in their first year of the postgraduate foundation training earn a minimum of £22,190. In their second year, they earn a minimum of £27,523.
  • Doctors in specialty training earn between £29,000 and £44,000.
  • The average salary of hospital doctors five years after graduation from medical school is between £35,000 - £40,000.
  • Many doctors will progress to consultant level. The basic pay for full-time consultants is £74,504 - £100,446. (All salary figures from British Medical Association (BMA) .)
  • All of the figures quoted above are basic salaries for the job titles stated and do not include on-call payments, which are made to doctors working on rotas and which may amount to significant sums. Hospital doctors’ salaries may also be supplemented by London weightings or private income.
  • Doctors often work very long and unsocial hours, including weekends, evenings and nights (usually on a rota basis), although working hours vary according to specialty. Since August 2009, the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) has made it illegal for junior doctors to work more than 48 hours a week.
  • Working conditions vary according to specialty. Settings include wards, consulting rooms, operating theatres, laboratories and special units, such as accident and emergency (A&E).
  • Self-employment or freelance work is possible. A variety of private practice opportunities exist, depending on experience and specialist knowledge.
  • Once qualified and experienced, career breaks are usually possible.
  • The majority of medical students are now female. However, in many of the more senior grades throughout The National Health Service (NHS) , there is a significantly higher proportion of male doctors. This situation is changing, due to the increasing numbers of women entering the profession and working their way up the grading scale.
  • Opportunities exist in most large towns and cities throughout the country.
  • There are some opportunities to work in different parts of the country as a locum, or to practise abroad. It may be necessary to move to a different part of the country to get the job that you really want.
  • The work may be demanding, both mentally and physically, with long, unsocial hours and you will be taking responsibility for patients’ health and wellbeing.
  • Balancing work with further study for about five years after graduation is usually needed in order to gain specialist qualifications.
  • Travel is occasionally required as part of the working day. Doctors on an on-call rota system are frequently absent from home overnight.
 
AGCAS
Written by Nadia Ferri, University of Newcastle
Date: 
October 2009
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