Health Secretary Wes Streeting is exploring the possibility of writing off part of doctors' student loans as part of a package to prevent a planned five-day strike by junior doctors starting on 25 July. The Department of Health and Social Care is analysing how a student debt 'forgiveness' scheme could be introduced for younger doctors who owe up to £100,000.
Proposals being considered include freezing interest on debt accrued during medical school and reducing the overall debt by a set amount for each year a doctor works for the NHS in England. Advocates argue this would incentivise doctors to remain in the health service without requiring large pay increases that could trigger similar demands from other public sector workers.
Streeting is meeting with co-chairs of the British Medical Association's (BMA) resident doctors committee on Thursday to discuss the issue. The BMA has been demanding a 29% pay rise over several years to restore salaries to 2008 levels, but Streeting has refused to reopen negotiations on the 5.4% award imposed in May.
The health department is also examining covering costs for career-progression exams and making annual leave easier for junior doctors. The BMA's co-chairs, Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt, indicated they would consider any debt write-off proposal as part of their goal to restore pay value, noting that students finish medical school with debts up to £100,000 and face monthly repayments of up to 10% of salary for most of their careers.
Implementing such a scheme would require Treasury approval and could prompt other health unions to seek similar measures. In March, the Royal College of Nursing proposed writing off 30% of nurses' student debt after three years of NHS service. However, a government spokesperson previously stated there were 'no plans' to forgive student debt for any specific profession.
