Health Secretary Wes Streeting is examining a student debt forgiveness scheme for junior doctors as part of efforts to prevent a planned five-day strike by the British Medical Association (BMA) starting on 25 July. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is modelling options including freezing interest on medical school debt and reducing debt for each year a doctor works in the NHS in England.
The BMA's resident doctors committee, representing 55,000 doctors in training, is seeking a 29% pay rise over several years to restore salaries to 2008 levels. Streeting has refused to reopen pay negotiations after imposing a 5.4% increase in May, but has indicated willingness to address non-pay issues such as exam costs and annual leave.
Debt forgiveness is a key priority for the BMA, with co-chairs Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt stating they would consider any government proposal on loan write-off as part of restoring value to doctors' working lives. Medical students can accumulate debts of up to £100,000 over five years, with monthly repayments of up to 10% of salary.
Any scheme would require Treasury approval and could prompt other health unions to seek similar measures. The Royal College of Nursing has previously proposed a 30% debt write-off after three years of NHS service, but the government has stated it has no plans for profession-specific forgiveness.
A DHSC spokesperson declined to comment on speculation, but confirmed Streeting is meeting BMA representatives on Thursday to discuss working conditions and urge them to call off the strike.
