The Welsh Government has said GPs will receive a 4% pay uplift for 2018/19, backdated to 1 April.
The pay rise falls inline with the recommendation made by the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body for GPs to receive ‘an additional increase in pay, net of expenses, of 2% above our minimum pay recommendation’ of 2%.
This comes after the Scottish Government granted its GPs a 3% pay rise and GPs in England were given a 2% uplift both backdated to 1 April.
In a statement today Welsh health secretary Vaughan Gething agreed to the DDRB recommendations in full:
- a 2% base increase for salaried doctors and dentists, salaried GPs and independent contractor GPs and general dental practitioners
- an additional 2% for independent contractor GPs, salaried GPs and to the GP trainers’ grant and the GP appraisers’ rate;
- an additional 1.5% for specialty and associate specialist doctors.
He said: ‘This pay rise, which will be backdated to 1 April 2018, recognises the value and dedication of hardworking doctors and dentists and their key contribution to the NHS in Wales.
‘This deal goes beyond what was agreed for doctors and dentists over the border and is yet another reason why Wales is a great place to train, work and live.’
However, he warned that with limited health budgets ‘meeting a pay deal resulting from the lifting of the UK Government’s pay cap without appropriate funding to follow presents a risk to the future funding of NHS Wales’.
Chair of the BMA’s Welsh Council and GP Dr David Bailey said: ‘At a time when the NHS is facing severe staff shortages across the UK, and doctors are having to manage unprecedented levels of demand, this announcement … shows that the Welsh Government understands the value of doctors who are working tirelessly to improve and maintain the health of the people of Wales.
He added that in ‘following a different path’ to the promised pay rise for English GPs the Welsh Government has ‘shown that concrete steps are being taken to ensure Wales is an attractive place for doctors to work and will go some way towards addressing the recruitment and retention challenges we are facing’.
This comes after Pulse revealed that Wrexham in North Wales is struggling with a GP shortage after two practices shut their doors within a year up to last June.
