Evidence for the review body on doctors and dentists remuneration: review for 2013
Pay uplifts for doctors and dentists, who work for the NHS, are determined by the government in light of recommendations made by the independent review body on doctors and dentists remuneration (DDRB).
This body takes evidence from the four UK governments, trade unions and NHS Employers before making their recommendations.
The chancellor wrote to all pay review body chairs, having announced in his autumn statement, an end to the pay freeze after 2012/13, but that to support fiscal consolidation, for each of the following two years, the government would seek public sector pay awards that average at 1%.
The government has invited DDRB to make recommendations on how the funding might best be distributed taking account of:
- continued strong recruitment, retention and motivation of doctors and dentists
- fact that many receive regular incremental pay rises of between 3% and 8%
- fact that any element of these funds not used for pay will be retained in the NHS and may be better employed on other issues such as increasing staff numbers or improving patient services.
The Department of Health, therefore, invites the DDRB to consider this and make recommendations for the distribution of the available funds of up to one per cent, balancing the public’s aspirations for continuing NHS service improvements on the one hand, and pay levels necessary to deliver a workforce of the required size, skill, motivation and morale on the other.