Overseas doctors’ pay could influence remuneration review
Government pay advisers will consider doctors’ remuneration for next year in the context of long-term economic trends and alongside similar professions, including internationally, ministers have announced.
Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting set out the terms of reference for the doctors’ and dentists’ review body for the 2025-26 pay round in a letter to the independent review bodies published yesterday.
The letter confirmed NHS staff were “unlikely” to receive pay increases by April, as first disclosed by chancellor Rachel Reeves in July, but Mr Streeting pledged to bring forward the pay round to reset the timetable for 2026-27.
The terms of reference for the DDRB, included with the letter, said the review body should consider the “developments in doctors’ and dentists’ earnings in the context of long-term trends in the wider labour market, alongside comparator professions, including relevant international comparators”.
The body must also consider “wider macroeconomic factors” and the “legal obligations on the NHS, including anti-discrimination, legislation regarding age, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion and belief and disability”.
On the likely delay to next year’s pay rise, Mr Streeting said: “It is unfortunate that, given the knock-on effects from the previous government’s delays to the 2024 to 2025 round, it is unlikely that workforces will receive pay increases by April, but by bringing the pay round forwards this year, we can more fully reset the timeline in 2026 to 2027.”
The Royal College of Nursing described the potential delayed pay rise as “not acceptable”.
RCN general secretary and chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: “Nursing staff want to be part of the solution. They will be alarmed by this latest development and our participation [in the pay round process] cannot now be guaranteed.”
Delays to the start of the pay round in recent years have meant they no longer fall in line with the start of the new financial year, but instead backdated to 1 April months later.
During a health and social care committee session last year, former pay review body chair Philippa Hird revealed the Department of Health and Social Care’s written evidence was nearly three weeks overdue.
Doctors’ and dentists’ review body chair Christopher Pilgrim urged the government to submit its evidence “as soon as possible and without further delay”.