Consultants respond to ‘grossly misleading’ BBC report on overtime pay – BMA Media Center

Answering today’s BBC report Regarding overtime pay for consultants, Dr Helen Neary and Dr Shanu Dutta, co-chairs of the BMA consultants committee, said:

“The BBC’s coverage of rates paid to hospital consultants to cover gaps in duty and shifts to help reduce queues sadly lacks context and accuracy. The BMA is also concerned about the possibility of appearing on Radio Four’s Today program to respond to the findings, which also failed and no explanation was given.

“A BBC Freedom of Information analysis of just 41 hospital trusts in England reveals misleading but eye-catching payments – payments made to a very small number of doctors. They cannot explain that these payments may have been made to agencies for a long period of time. For example, the BBC is misleading in referring to the long-term temporary arrangements that trusts have set up to deal with the doctor shortage as “extra work” or “overtime”.

“The headlines distract from the real story, which is that around 60% of all hospital consultants work overtime and, according to FOI data, they have been doing so for at least the last 14 years and their pay is nowhere near that. Many senior doctors work well beyond their contracted hours without additional pay, but where they are paid at rates above their base salary, this reflects often unsocial hours – nights and weekends. The BBC says at least half of the 41 trust Whom. In response to a freedom of information request, they “pay their consultants over £100,000 in overtime.” What the BBC does not specify is what work is being carried out, for how long or over what period of time, and the original data was not available. for any check.

“It is very concerning to see the BBC using data in this way to create a narrative when in fact the focus should be on the desperate need to expand the workforce to make sure we have enough doctors to fill shifts and give patients the care they need.” want.” need and in the near future how the Government plans to deliver the promised additional 40,000 appointments per week.”