I am writing to provide a number of updates primarily related to the 2026/2027 GP Contract which will be imposed on 01 April 2026.
Doctors and Dentists Pay Review Body Recommendations 2026/2027
The Government has confirmed that it has accepted the Doctors and Dentists Pay Review Body’s recommendations for both Doctors and Dentists for 2026/2027. The full Report is available via the DDRB website, available at:
Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration – GOV.UK
As I noted in my previous update, the financial calculations for the 2026/27 GP Contract presumed a public sector pay assumption of 2.5%. The accepted award will be 3.5%; there will therefore be a supplemental uplift to the pay elements only of the Contract, including 86% of the global sum calculation. This will be agreed by GPC England and NHS England this week and I will circulate the finalised figures as soon as they are available. It looks likely this uplift can be included in practices’ pay runs in April 2026.
Doctors and Dentists Pay Review Body Award and GP Sessional Colleagues
Under the Regulations, GMS and (since 2015) PMS practices must offer salaried GP employees the BMA Model Contract or terms and conditions “no less favourable”; a phrase not further defined in the Regulations.
The BMA salaried pay range will rise by 3.5%; current salaried GP Contracts which include reference to an annual pay uplift linked to the DDRB Recommendations, should therefore be followed. If no uplift is specified, this then means negotiations should occur which are likely to be based on the precedents of previous years, the known percentage uplifts, and the partners assessment of affordability.
The DDRB Award only applies to doctors (and dentists, who were awarded 3.75% to their NHS Contracts) but colleagues will be aware it is often used as a benchmark for other practice colleagues. However, this is a matter for partnerships, unless other staff contracts include specific annual uplift arrangements in their Contracts of Employment.
The GP Sessional Committee has expressed anger and concern about this year’s Award, especially given the data available in the most recent GP Earnings and Expenses Estimates, which is for 2023/2024. This is available at the following link:
GP Earnings and Expenses Estimates – NHS England Digital
and comprises information based on anonymous HMRC data. Essentially, average GP salaries have remained almost static in real terms for several years. Partners’ profit drawings have increased on average, but are affected by, particularly, wage inflation and, last year, the uplifts in both minimal wage and NI threshold increases.
The DDRB Award of 3.5% applies to all branches of practice and the Resident Doctors (formerly Juniors) have already announced strike action, with intended dates of 07-13 April (commencing the day after Easter Monday).
The LMC has provided advice to all practices in terms of their responsibilities if resident colleagues are on strike. This was last covered in my letter of October 2025 and I hope the advice is helpful.
GP Practice Reimbursement Scheme
The GP Practice Reimbursement programme is funded from the £292-million formerly paying for the PCN DES Capacity and Access Funding. This element within the PCN DES will no longer be available for 2026/27.
Unfortunately, this programme will not be ready on 01 April but should be available to be retrospectively claimed from this date. However, I appreciate that without specific details, colleagues may be reluctant to try and seek to engage colleagues until they know more and GPC England is encouraging NHS England to provide “bridging” information before the update SFE is available, which is expected in May.
SFE Reimbursement Rates
The SFE Reimbursement rates will rise on 01 April 2026 and ICBs will normally update any claims after that date; I will circulate updated amounts once confirmed by NHS England.
Vaccination responsibilities for eligible Care Home Residents within each PCN
I am writing separately to all colleagues about these arrangements as GPC England has not secured changes in the PCN DES specification. This means PCN core member practices will have responsibility for arranging vaccinations for aligned Care Homes for other PCN member practices who do not participate in the seasonal vaccination programmes (influenza and Covid-19). Colleagues should review their decisions after the updated PCN DES specification is available.
Online Consultations and Urgent Requirements
The LMC is working with commissioners to ensure capacity constraints within practices are recognised by the Opel System. I will circulate additional guidance in terms of identifying urgent patient cases appropriately, noting that it is for GPs (or delegated members of staff) to decide which urgent cases are indeed urgent.
I hope this update is helpful.
Dr Julius Parker, Chief Executive