Key facts
- The British Medical Association (BMA) is considering making up to 200 of its 600 staff in England redundant.
- The union is facing a significant cash crisis, having lost millions annually and received substantial subsidies.
- Staff have expressed fear and anger, with some accusing the BMA of hypocrisy and breaching its own HR rules.
- The BMA plans to restructure its operations to focus more on trade union campaigning.
- The union's chief executive, Rachel Podolak, faces a vote of no confidence from GMB members.
The British Medical Association (BMA) is facing a severe financial crisis and is considering significant staff reductions, potentially cutting up to a third of its workforce in England. The union has placed 200 of its 600 staff at risk of redundancy as part of a major restructuring aimed at reducing its recurring deficit.
This move has generated anxiety and anger among staff, who have accused the BMA of hypocrisy and appalling behaviour, with some claiming the union has breached its own HR rules and attempted to silence employees. The BMA has reportedly lost millions of pounds annually despite achieving record membership numbers, partly due to its vigorous campaigning for better pay, including strikes.
Financially, the BMA has relied on substantial subsidies from its owned publication, the British Medical Journal, totaling £86.8 million since 2008. The proposed restructuring aims to refocus the BMA on its role as a trade union campaigning on pay and workplace issues, potentially leading to job losses in departments that produce reports and in industrial relations officer (IRO) roles.
A BMA spokesperson stated that the organisation is making important changes to build on recent successes and improve member support and campaigning. While acknowledging the difficulty of staff reductions, the spokesperson noted extensive engagement with the GMB trade union and affected staff. The BMA expects most reductions to be voluntary, with proposals consulting on a reduction of around 20 full-time equivalent staff. However, the GMB union has expressed concerns and is working to avoid compulsory redundancies.
Staff morale is reportedly low, with a BMA source describing employees as scared and miserable. A vote of no confidence in the chief executive, Rachel Podolak, who is leading the restructuring, was passed by GMB members. The planned cuts to IRO and head of region posts have also drawn criticism from local BMA branches.