GPs get backdated pay rise of 2pc

All GPs in England are set to get a 2 per cent pay uplift backdated to April 2018, as opposed to the 1 per cent rise that was previously agreed.

There will potentially also be an additional 1 per cent rise, on top of the new baseline, from April 2019, as part of wide sweeping reforms to public sector pay announced today. 

General dental practitioners are also set to get a 3 per cent pay increase, backdated to April 2018, according to a statement from Matt Hancock. 

Following a review by the doctors and dentists pay review body, Mr Hancock said GPs backdated pay increase will also apply to practice staff expenses, paid for as part of the GP contract. 

GP trainers and GP appraisers are also set to get a 3 per cent increase on their fees from October 2018.

The news comes after NHS England agreed to an interim 1 per cent increase for GPs as part of 2018-19 contract negotiations.

In his statement, Mr Hancock also said GPs could get a further 1 per cent uplift in 2019-20, which would be conditional on agreeing a multiyear contract reform from 2019-20. 

He said: “I intend to ask NHS England to take a multiyear approach to the GP contract negotiations with investment in primary care linked to improvements in primary care services.”

The increase comes following requests from the British Medical Association to the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body to recommend a 2 per cent pay increase for GPs with an additional 4 per cent increase to account for inflation. 

In a report, published today, the DDRB recommended GPs recieve a uplift of 2 per cent, net of expenses. HSJ understands the governement’s proposals of a 2 per cent uplift are inclusive of expenses. 

In a statement to HSJ, the Department for Health and Social Care said the costs related to the pay increases would be “absorbed within the existing DHSC settlement”, while 2019-20 funding will come from the long term funding settlement announced in June. 

Dr Richard Vautrey, chair of the BMA’s general practice commitee, said: “It is deeply concerning that the government has chosen not to honour the findings of its own independent pay review body across the entire NHS, but specifically for GPs.

”The nation’s beleaguered family doctors and their hard working staff should be receiving at the very least, a 4% pay rise, as recommended by the pay review body, simply to keep services for patients running. 

For the new Secretary of State to commit, only last week, to addressing the workforce crisis in general practice and raise hopes of investment in primary care, to now dash those hopes, will signal to dedicated GPs and their staff that they are not valued.”