Following several years of effective pay cuts, including last year’s disastrous decision to award GPs an increase of just 0.28%, there is, at least, an acknowledgment of the expanding role played by GPs and the increased workload facing the profession has been recognised.
However, it will not reverse the impact of successive years of under resourcing and pay cut. At a time when GPs have delivered substantial efficiency savings to the NHS in addition to actual cuts in their take home pay, it is unlikely that the uplift of 1.16% will cover the unavoidable expenses that practices face or make up for years in under funding.
It is not clear why the Department of Health DDRB has persisted in using a formula to calculate the uplift for GPs when in their own evidence they agreed withwhich the DDRB that it in its own report it concedes is not fit for purpose.
Today’s announcement also goes no way towards fixing the wider issues facing GPs such as how they cope with rising patient demand, staff shortages and inadequate premises.
GPC chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul
More on this year’s funding award
GP take-home pay ‘to fall by 10%’ despite practice funding uplift, estimate accountants
Analysis: How the ‘discredited’ pay formula will impact GPs
In full: DDRB 2015/16 pay recommendations
How GP practice earnings have been outpaced by expenses
