WIREDGOV

The Health and Social Care Secretary has announced one of the biggest pay rises in a decade for thousands of NHS doctors and dentists.

The announcement is in response to the 47th report of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB).

The increases for 2019 to 2020 will be between:

• £1,940 and £2,630 for consultants
• £970 and £1,820 for specialty doctors
• £1,360 and £2,250 for associate specialists

This will be backdated to April 2019.

All pay awards are considered in light of wider pressures on public spending, ensuring that pay is fair for employees and taxpayers, while maintaining services that are affordable for the future.

The 2.5% pay rise for all consultants and dentists is part of the ambition to make the NHS the best place to work, as set out in the NHS Interim People Plan.

It is also intended to recognise their commitment to patients.

The government’s response to the DDRB’s report puts forward an approach for a potential multi-year deal with contract reform for specialty and associate specialist (SAS) doctors to improve recruitment, retention, morale and productivity for this group.

In 2018, the government announced the largest pay rise in nearly a decade for almost a million public sector workers.

The government recently settled multi-year pay deals with junior doctors and general practitioners.

The contract for all 39,000 junior doctors will see a minimum 8.2% pay rise over 4 years. It also ensures they are more fairly paid when working late into the night and at weekends, and puts new limits on working hours as part of wider improvements to their working conditions.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, said:

Our NHS would be nothing without the hard work and commitment of its amazing staff.

So we are supporting tens of thousands of doctors and dentists with one of the biggest pay rises for over a decade ‒ in recognition of their 24/7 dedication and compassion towards patients.