Doctor shows off payslip sharing shockingly low amount he's paid an hour
This year has seen both junior doctors and consultants in the NHS going on strike on the same days for the first time in NHS history, marking a grim milestone.
While there is a multitude of other factors besides pay at stake, NHS doctors' wages are absolutely part of the problem.
And one doctor doing his first year since graduating has taken to TikTok to show just why.
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Dr Dev Gakhar has posted numerous videos on his TikTok page doctordevify, mainly talking about the low wages in different parts of the NHS.
One video, which has had just under 900,000 views, sees Dr Gakhar showing his own payslip as a first-year doctor to show just how much NHS heroes are actually compensated.
While salaries do increase as you work your way up the ladder, NHS wages are still far lower compared to equivalent positions in other countries all the way up to the most esteemed of senior consultants.
So what is the hourly rate for a first-year doctor on the NHS (first year meaning first year since graduating)?
Needless to say, it's not great.
For a Foundation Year 1 Doctor, the hourly wage on the payslip was £14.08.
Considering six years of medical school, with the debt that means, not to mention the fact that people's lives may literally be in your hands, £14.08 seems pretty insulting.
Campaigns have since started to pop up advertising the high wages available to doctors in the Australian healthcare system.
While Australia is an expensive place to live, when it comes to comparisons between the salaries in the UK there's simply no competition.
Some NHS doctors are starting to take them up on the offer and migrate to Australia for better wages, not to mention the weather.
But what's the comparison? Well in Australia the pay varies by state, but the lowest salary for an equivalent to the Foundation Year 1 is A$85,668, or around £41,100. Using the same hours worked as Dr Gakhar, that equates to around £20.36 an hour.
It's the same for consultants as well. According to the NHS website, the most venerable of senior consultants can top out at around £126,281. The figure for the equivalent in Australia is A$400,000, or just over £206,000 is 'expected' once you reach a more senior level.
No wonder people are choosing to migrate.
Kit Roberts