NHSE - 2009/10 DDRB review body evidence - 17 Nov 08

Source

 NHS Employers has submitted evidence based on employers' views to the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body (DDRB), for the 2009/10 pay round. This page includes the key messages outlined in our evidence and gives details about the review process.

Based on employers' views, we are recommending that the uplift is limited to 2% for doctors and dentists who are employed in the NHS. Trusts believe that this will strike the right balance between fairness to staff and affordability for trusts.
Key messages

The key messages from NHS organisations to the DDRB are:

• The need to consider the whole reward package that enables the NHS to recruit the right number of staff with the correct skill mix, applied in the right way, to meet the needs of the NHS - this includes pensions and tangible and non-tangible rewards.
• Employers views are therefore based on three key areas: recruitment and retention, financial considerations (linked to the tariff) and staff morale.
• Recruitment and retention of doctors and dentists is generally stable suggesting that the pay system is largely fit for purposes and needs only limited changes.
• Relative to other staff groups in the NHS, doctors and dentists are more satisfied with the circumstances of their employment.
• Employers want an award that is fair to staff but also recognises the need for organisations to achieve financial balance.
• Employers believe that an award of 2% for directly employed doctors and dentists would be affordable, providing there is a corresponding uplift in the tariff for 2009/10.
• Employers believe that there should be no uplift to the gross contract values in General Dental Services - this takes into account increases in the 2008/09 award against a backdrop of decreasing expenses for dental practices.
• Employers feel strongly that any unfunded increases in pay would lead to cost savings elsewhere and potentially impact on patient services and care, jeopardising local delivery of the overall NHS strategy.
• Employers would welcome a multi-year award for doctors and dentists to the end of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) period, to give stability and predictability for employers and staff.
• Our evidence is based on the views of NHS organisations - gathered through employer engagement activities in the last year, regional HR networks, focus groups and a questionnaire - and NHS Employers policy board.

For the DDRB submission, written evidence will be followed by oral evidence.

Supplementary evidence submitted for General Medical Services - November 2008
We have submitted supplementary evidence to the Doctors and Dentists Review Body (DDRB) recommending an overall gross uplift of up to 1.5% be applied to General Medical Services (GMS) contract payments for 2009/10. This is based on the available evidence and in particular on the views of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). NHS Employers believes that an uplift of 1.5% to the gross GMS contract value will result in broadly a 2% increase in average General Medical Practitioners (GMPs) net pay in 2009/10.

Pages in this section
DDRB evidence - in detail
This page gives a more detailed overview of our evidence to the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body for the 2009/10 pay round.

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