From 1 January next year, the Hungary government wishes to guarantee that general practitioners should not earn less than stated in the pay scale, Gergely Gulyás, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said.
He highlighted that the details are currently being worked out, regarding which they will consult with the Hungarian Chamber of Doctors. The Minister described the pay rise of physicians as a milestone, pointing out that from 1 January 2021, based on the pay scale of physicians, a 125 per cent pay rise will be implemented.
He mentioned as examples that from 1 January a resident without a specialist degree in employment for three years will have a pre tax salary of HUF 613,000, while a physician in employment for forty years could expect a pre-tax salary of almost HUF 1.7 million.
From 1 January 2022, a resident without a specialist degree in employment for three years will have a pre tax salary of HUF 788,000, while a physician in employment for forty years could expect a pre-tax salary of almost HUF 2.1 million. According to the pay scale, a doctor with 11 years’ experience will earn HUF 1.26 million, he said.
He also highlighted that from 1 January 2023, the salary in the first category will be HUF 875,000, almost HUF 2.4 million in the second, and some HUF 1.4 million in the third.
He indicated that there is scope for a 20 per cent upward adjustment, based on which the highest salary under the pay scale will be in excess of HUF 2.8 million, not including any duty time.
Mr Gulyás stressed that no issue had emerged that could not be settled later, and that the detailed regulations, too, would be worked out in cooperation with the Chamber of Doctors.
He said if a physician works for 4, 6 or 8 hours a day, against the background of the new pay scale, they will be allowed to engage in private medical activities with the consent of the employer hospital. At the same time, they want to eliminate the situation where a physician works in three private practices, in addition to completing an eight-hour shift in hospital.
In his words, the starting point should be that it is difficult to work in a responsible manner for more than 10 to 12 hours a day.
Regarding the pay rise of general practitioners, the Minister said in their case it is more difficult to tell how much the income is because the so-called quota fee also forms part of the salary, and that depends on the size of the practice.
Therefore, in their case, it makes no sense to talk about standardised pay rises; the government can only lay down that if a general practitioner’s salary does not reach a fixed amount, the state will provide the difference, he added, indicating that the detailed regulations are currently being identified.
Mr Gulyás stressed that in total during this term of government, the pay of nurses will increase by 72 per cent which is an unprecedented rate. He said from 1 November, the salaries of nurses will increase by 20 per cent, while in 2022 they will receive another 30 per cent rise.
The Minister said it is important to put an end to the practice of gratuities, and that a pay scale has been approved for physicians which could slow down the process of physicians leaving for abroad. In fact, once the situation is made perfectly clear in health care, many could return from abroad. ■