A gender pay gap in the highest ranks of NHS doctors sees top male consultants earning an average £14,000 a year more than their female colleagues, according to new figures obtained by the BBC.
Just five out of the 100 top-earning NHS consultants in England are female, despite women making up a third of the total workforce.
The statistics showed a gender pay gap among the most senior doctors in 2016/17, with the highest-paid man earning nearly £740,000 – two and a half times the £280,000 received by the top woman.
- £739,460 - the top-earning male consultant in England
- £281,616 - top earning woman consultant
- £127,683 - average male annual earnings
On average, male consultants within the group earned 12% (£14,000) more than their female counterparts.
But the pay gap shrank to £1,500 when overtime and bonuses were stripped out, suggesting that some of the difference was due to male consultants working longer hours.
Figures obtained by the BBC from health trusts, the Government and NHS Digital showed
– The top-earning male consultant in England earned £739,460, compared to £281,616 for the best-paid woman;
– On average, full-time male consultants earned £127,683 – almost £14,000 more than women working full-time;
– Six-and-a-half times as many men as women in England and Wales get the top platinum award bonus worth £77,000 a year;
– In Northern Ireland the gap between men and women’s gross earnings was over £8,000.