‘Knowing we can utilise this money and not have to dip into savings makes life quite a bit easier.’

The specialty trainee 8 in paediatrics who spoke to The Doctor has seen her annual income updated from £67,987 to £94,654 – a rise of nearly £27,000 – as result of a less-publicised part of the deal the BMA resident doctors committee reached with health secretary Wes Streeting earlier this year.

Schedule 15 pay protection was put in place to make sure doctors who moved from the 2002 to the 2016 contract didn’t lose pay as a result. It has now been extended for another year, to August 2026.

The agreement, which also saw an overhaul of the exception reporting process, means doctors who qualify for pay protection – many of whom are parents balancing the pressures of childcare with demanding jobs and training – should benefit from the most advantageous contract situation available to them.

It is a tangible win for a relatively small and decreasing group of doctors, protecting them from the erosion of pay that has become the source of continued industrial action since 2022.

The doctor who The Doctor spoke to, on condition of anonymity given the nature of discussing her personal finances, said that, while colleagues without pay protection might have a higher basic salary than her, their total pay package may be less.

This is to do with how out-of-hours work is rewarded under pay protection, especially as many of the doctors in her position are working less-than full-time hours before additional shifts.

Pay protection also helps resident doctors who become parents because maternity pay is based on average weekly earnings for the eight weeks prior to and including the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth, a period which coincides with when pregnant doctors may be less able to work as many additional hours.

The ST8 doctor, who has two children, said pay protection helps her manage family finances because it is calculated in a way which means ‘less inconsistency’ in take-home pay each month, compared with how additional hours are calculated and paid on the 2016 contract.

‘There are pros and cons,’ she said. ‘From my perspective it’s probably better to have a lower baseline salary but getting a higher sum for your out-of-hours work. It can be a big difference in gross pay.’

Having started her foundation years in 2010, and specialty training in 2012, the ST8 doctor is relieved that pay protection has been extended for what she expects to be her final year before qualifying as a consultant.

‘There’s only a handful of us in this position now,’ she said. ‘It’s making sure that I’m getting paid appropriately for the job that I’m doing and the experience I have. You feel more valued.’

As part of the 2016 contract deal, resident doctors (then known as junior doctors) who worked under the 2002 contract or applied for their training programmes ahead of the 2016 contract implementation were entitled to pay protection. There are two types of pay protection.

Section 1 pay protection is available for doctors who were at the earlier stages of their training when the 2016 contract was implemented. It is based on the basic salary and banding they were earning the day prior to starting work under the new contract.

Section 2 pay protection is available for doctors who were at later stages of their training programme when the 2016 contract was implemented. They are paid a basic salary on the pay scale on which they were previously paid under the 2002 contract and receive annual increments on the anniversary of their previously agreed incremental date.

As a result of the recent deal with government, this now applies until doctors either exit training or until 4 August 2026, whichever is sooner. Previously it applied regardless of whether the 2016 contract pay would have been greater. From 6 August 2025 onwards, it applies unless or until 2016 contract pay becomes more advantageous.

While trusts should contact each doctor who is eligible for pay protection, even if they rotate, the BMA is urging those who think they could be entitled to it to check with their employers so they can choose the option which is more beneficial.

Melissa Ryan, who was co-chair of the RDC when the deal was struck, said: ‘I’m really pleased that we’ve managed to secure an extension to the pay-protection scheme.

‘These protections are still needed, especially as more doctors now work less than full time because of the pressures and staffing shortages across the NHS, leading to prolonged time in training. In paediatrics, these doctors are often parents of young children who are trying to balance work and family life.

‘For some, the difference in pay can be several thousand pounds a year. It’s incredibly frustrating that we have to fight for this every year, and delays in negotiations mean these doctors see their pay protection stop in August before it’s reinstated later, leaving them suddenly out of pocket.’

The doctor, who is from a banking family – so has been ‘brought up to check my payslips carefully’ – encouraged others to do the same.