The Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration has published it 53rd Report which includes recommendations for increases for GP Contractors and Salaried GPs. The government has accepted the recommendations.
The commitment by the government is to:
- uplift the pay range for salaried General Medical Practitioners by 4% uplifting the minimum and maximum of the pay range for salaried GPs by 4%,
- uplift the pay element of the GP contract by 4%.
- uplift the GP educators pay scale by 4%.
Highlights from the DDRB report include that:
- The number of FTE GP partners had fallen by 3.2% in the previous year and by 14% over 5 years.
- The number of salaried GPs had increased by 12.4% over the previous year and by 33.9% over five years.
- On average GP partners work longer hours than salaried GPs. Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Local Medical Committee / Newsletter
- GP Contractor income has fallen significantly (by 8.6% in 2022/23 – the last year full figures are available), although on average over the 10 years since 2010/13 had increased by 4%. • Growth in GPs has been much slower than growth in the number of doctors directly employed by secondary care trusts.
Each year, the LMC receives queries from practices regarding whether they must offer the DDRB uplift to all their salaried GPs. GMS and PMS practices are contractually required to offer terms no less favourable than the BMA model Contract. Regulation 49 of “The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2015” as amended states:
“The contractor may only offer employment to a general medical practitioner on terms which are no less favourable than those contained in the document entitled “Model terms and conditions of service for a salaried general practitioner employed by a GMS practice” published by the British Medical Association and the NHS Confederation as item 1.2 of the supplementary documents to the GMS contract 2003”
The BMA Model Offer Letter, which forms part of the Model Contract includes:
“Your starting salary will be [£xx] per annum paid monthly in arrears by credit transfer, normally on the last day of each month. Your salary will be increased … by annual increments on [incremental date] each year and in accordance with the Government’s decision on the pay of general practitioners following the recommendation of the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body.”
Interpretation of the term “no less favourable” is for the practice to agree with their salaried general practitioners and the LMC would advise that practices seek independent professional HR advice.
Please note that as yet the LMC is unaware of what uplift will be given, but as it is of the ‘pay element’ this will include oncosts. However, the amount will be ‘on average’ which means that some practices will receive more than needed and others less. This effect will mainly relate to how many salaried GPs a practice employs.
The BMA has published a DDRB Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) which practices may find useful.
For comments or queries, please email the LMC, but please note that the LMC cannot provide HR advice.