Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has asked the independent pay review body to specifically consider salaried GP recruitment when making recommendations for a pay uplift for 2017/18.
In a letter to the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) chair Professor Paul Curran, Mr Hunt said he would welcome the body’s recommendations with regards to recruiting, retaining and motivating the growing cohort of salaried GPs.
Mr Hunt said: ‘The Review Body’s last report noted that there has been an expansion of the salaried model in general practice and that understanding this trend would be important.
‘The Government would welcome the Review Body’s observations, based on any evidence the parties could provide, about the factors affecting recruitment, retention and motivation of this group.’
Mr Hunt also reiterated the instruction from recent years to consider any uplift within the Government’s ‘pay restraint’ policy for the public sector.
He said: ‘The Government has made it clear that pay restraint in the public sector continues to be a crucial part of its plans for the continued prudent management of public finances to help support long term planning and to help protect jobs.
‘I appreciate that this continues to present challenges, but your expertise, impartial and independent judgement is vital as employers and staff respond to the unprecedented challenges facing the NHS.’
The news comes as Pulse has revealed that growing numbers of GPs would consider going salaried, with over half now saying they would if offered the right deal, but also that this trend relates to pressures of partnership amid falling resourcers.
In last year’s submission to the DDRB, the DH said that there was no guarantee practices would use an uplift to support recruitment and retention because GP practices are independent businesses.
