Salaried GPs in England are being urged to seek the 6% pay rise they ‘are due’ amid concerns that practices are telling doctors ‘no money has come through the contract’ to finance rises.
The National Association of Sessional GPs has said its members have taken to the organisation’s closed Facebook group to discuss the issue of pay, with a third reporting no pay rise.
Meanwhile, other comments from GPs included that their practice had so far ‘not even… acknowledged’ the subject of a pay increase. Another said they had secured a rise but only after having ‘proactively addressed’ it.
Not all practices have been slow to act, the NASGP said, with some salaried GPs reporting they have been awarded increases backdated to April.
It was announced last week that the Global Sum for GP practices in England has been increased from £102.28 to £104.73 per patient, in order to finance a 6% uplift in staff pay in including for salaried GPs.
The extra money is worth a total of £233.14 million for 2023/24, the GPCE said in a letter sent to LMCs and practices earlier this week.
Dr Richard Fieldhouse, NASGP chair, has now urged members to ‘actively seek the uplift you are due’.
He added: ‘The 6% pay uplift is not just a number: it’s a reflection of the value and hard work that salaried GPs bring to their roles, especially under current pressures’.
The GPCE’s letter provided specific advice about arrangements for salaried GPs.
It stated: ‘The BMA model contract specifies an annual salary uplift linked to annual Doctors’ and Dentists’ Pay Review Body awards and a date at which the uplift should be applied.
‘If no such date is stated in the salaried GP employee’s contract, both committees [the GPCE and Sessional GPs Committee] believe the default uplift date should be 1 April.
‘If the BMA model contract has been amended by the practice and employee by mutual consent, for example where different terms are stated, contractors should comply with the terms of the employment contract.’
It also said: ‘If no uplifts are referenced within an employees contract then the employer has discretion, but we encourage practices to pass on the uplift they receive for the purpose it is intended.’
Dr Fieldhouse said although GP partners face challenging times and huge complexities managing practices, it’s ‘crucial to remember that the BMA model contract is not merely a guideline but a commitment to fair employment practices for salaried GPs’.
He called on practices to ‘honour this commitment’ adding that, ‘in the end, a well-supported GP workforce benefits us all.’
