Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has approved pay increases of up to 10% for NHS staff as the new government attempts to bring an end to two years of industrial action.

The Government this week accepted the recommendations of the Independent Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration’s (DDRB).

The move means doctors in training (junior doctors) would receive a permanent pay increase of between 8.1%-10.3% depending on where they are in their training.

Pay scales for consultants have also increased by 6%, meaning starting basic full-time pay will increase from more than £88,300 to £93,600.

Full-time equivalent basic pay for consultants will increase by around £6,300 on average.

And, if the offer is accepted by the unions, nurses and other staff will get a 5.5% increase, swelling a Band 5 entry-level registered nurse’s salary by more than £1,500.

Pay and investment

Commenting on the announcement, UNISON general secretary, Christina McAnea, said: “The NHS cannot begin to turn around its fortunes and eliminate delays unless it keeps the staff it has, and is an attractive career destination for potential recruits too.

“Pay and investment in the workforce is key to all that.

“An above-inflation rise was the right thing to do after many years of NHS wages lagging behind increasing prices.

“Though health workers will look at what they’re getting and compare it with the deal agreed for junior doctors.”

And she called for a much-longer-term commitment.

“This year’s pay rise cannot be a one-off,” she added.

“It’ll take much more than this boost to get the NHS into a better place.

“Patients are treated by one team in the NHS and everyone’s contribution is crucial and must be fairly valued, whether they’re doctors, cleaners, nurses, ambulance workers, porters, or hospital admissions teams.

“The health and success of the NHS depends on each and every one of them.”

On the up

Under the agreement, average basic pay for a first-year junior doctor will increase from £29,300 to £32,300 and for a junior doctor in core training with three years experience it will increase from £40,200 to £43,900.

Some will also benefit from performance pay, overtime, pay progression, and pay rises from promotion, alongside the pay uplift

Pay scales for consultants will increase by 6%, meaning starting basic full-time pay will increase from more than £88,300 to £93,600.

When that is taken with on-call payments and other activities, the average consultant’s NHS earnings are expected to increase to £134,000 a year.

For consultants and SAS doctors on pre-2021 contracts, this is on top of the 4.5% pay rise they received last year.

For Salaried GPs, the 6% increase raises the minimum salary by around £3,900 and the maximum by around £5,900.

The GP contract has also been uplifted to provide a 6% uplift for all salaried general practice staff (including salaried GPs, nurses, and admin).

Some staff will also benefit from performance pay, overtime, pay progression, and pay rises from promotion, alongside the pay uplift.

Dentists and NHS managers

The pay element of the contract for high street dentists will also increase by 6%.

The salary for dentists undertaking Dental Foundation Training will rise from £36,288 to £38,465.

Pay scales for salaried primary care dental staff will increase by 6%, which will raise the minimum salary at the lowest band by £2,697 (from £44,955 to £47,652) and the maximum salary at the highest band by £5,769 (to £101,923).

And Pay for Very Senior Managers (VSMs) and Executive Senior Managers (ESMs) in the NHS will increase by 5%.

The Government will fund this pay award through prioritisation within existing departmental budgets, with frontline services being protected.

The British Medical Association’s junior doctors committee (JDC) has chosen to recommend that members accept the proposals.

Co-chairmen, Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, said: “We are announcing that almost two years into our dispute we have received an offer from the Government that our committee thinks merits consideration by our membership.

“It should never have taken so long to get here, but this offer shows what can be achieved when both parties enter negotiations in a constructive spirit.”