‘The DDRB recommended a gross uplift of 2.29% for GP contractors – to cover increases in practice expenses and staff pay and deliver a 1% net increase to GP pay in line with other doctors – but the Government has reduced that to 1.32%, challenging the Review Body’s calculations on staff pay.’
Dr Mark Porter, BMA chair
‘We are bitterly disappointed that the Government is interfering with the recommendations of the Review Body. The Government is essentially telling GPs that their staff should earn less than what the DDRB has indicated, or that GPs should take another real terms pay cut.
‘GPs will be fed up that they are again being treated unfairly, particularly when they are also facing the imposition of unwelcome contract changes and having to deal with the consequences of the Health and Social Care Act in England. GPs may feel less motivated to work with the Government in the future at a time when they are needed most.’
Dr Laurence Buckman, GPC chair
‘The Government’s decision to uplift the GP contract by 1.32% clearly seeks to ensure that increases in the take home pay of practice staff are consistent with increases that other staff within the NHS will receive.’
Dean Royles, chief executive of the NHS Employers organisation
‘It is clear that GPs value their staff and have actually been giving staff above inflation pay rises to reflect the extra work they are doing in the practice. The Government has quite blatantly cut that and said there is a policy that staff should only get a 1% pay rise and that is what you should get and therefore we’ll cut it to 1.32% overall.’
Dr Peter Swinyard, chair of the Family Doctor Association
