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Welsh GP contract negotiations deliver 2.8% pay rise for GPs and staff

All GPs and practice staff in Wales will receive a 2.8% pay uplift, after he negotiations for this year’s GP contract were finalised.

The Welsh Government agreed to uplift staff budgets by the full amount recommended by the DDRB with the expectation this will be passed on to staff, BMA Wales said.

Under the annual GMS contract review, practices will also see funding per patient rise from £91.77 to £95.07.

It also involves a new quality improvement project building on work many practices have done during the Covid-19 pandemic on urgent care, BMA Wales said.

Dr Phil White, chair of the BMA’s Welsh GP Committee said the agreed contract would reward GPs and practice staff for the ‘exceptional efforts’ they have made during the pandemic and would go some way to alleviating concerns around sustainability.

It will enable the DDRB’s recommendation of 2.8% pay increase for contractor GPs to be met, as well as enabling the 2.8% recommendation for salaried GPs, he added.

‘The exceptional award also enables practices to uplift their staffing budgets by 2.8% to recognise the efforts of all practice staff.’

‘The changes that GPs have embedded during Covid-19 are recognised, and we have agreed to the introduction of a new QI project related to COVID-19 learning building on work many practices and clusters have already started, with a focus on planning for urgent care.

‘We have also agreed to undertake work to improve the patient journey by exploring integration between unscheduled care and practices, while preserving the clinical judgement of GPs,’ he said.

BMA Wales said they were particularly pleased to have secured a commitment to exploring how all practice staff will be able to access Occupational Health services.

Wales GPC executive member Dr Ian Harries told Pulse that separate reviews into enhanced services and premises were ongoing.

He said the Welsh Government had wanted reassurance that pay increases would be passed onto all staff but that practices would still be able to decide how pay rises were made.

‘It is a slight change in approach,’ he said.

Minister for health and social services, Vaughan Gething, said the negotiations had taken place at a time of significant challenge for the NHS.

‘Primary care has played an important role during the pandemic, with all doctors’ practices being open throughout and adapting quickly to ensure care continued.

‘The offer agreed demonstrates my appreciation for the efforts of GPs and all staff working in practices. Their dedication and commitment during the Covid response has supported our communities across Wales.

‘The new contract will now see us build on changes that have been made during the pandemic including the introduction of digital consultations and to embed new ways of working.’


          

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terry sullivan 19 September, 2020 1:22 pm

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