DDRB and GP Sessional Colleagues

Doctors and Dentists Pay Review Body Recommendations 2026/27

Information:

The GP sessional pay range has been uplifted by 3.5%; this applies to salaries as on costs are included within the Global Sum staff pay element calculation.

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 that DDRB Recommendations are 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, 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.

The LMC has provided advice to all practices in terms of their responsibilities if resident colleagues are on strike. This was last covered in October 2025.

FAQs

Salaried GPs employed by GMS and (since 2015) PMS Contractors should be employed by default under the BMA Model Contract. However, it is open to the employer/employee to mutually agree to variations in the terms and conditions within this Contract, providing this produces a “no less favourable” outcome. This term is not further defined in the Regulations but is normally taken to imply that key employment entitlements, such as holidays, CPD entitlement, and parental and other leave arrangements should not be altered. The link between an annual salary uplift, usually with a specific date, and that years DDRB Award, is another key Model Contract contractual term. If no date is specified, the default is normally considered to be 01 April, or the yearly anniversary of the employees start date.

The 3.5% uplift refers to salary; any ‘on cost’ costs are an additional cost to the practice, which, depending on the practices staff composition, may not be fully covered by the practices Global Sum in a way that also allows for an equivalent increase in partner drawings. This was exacerbated last year with the April 2025 an increase in NI rates and a reduced payment threshold together with a significant increase in the minimum wage; NI rates are unchanged for 2026/27 but the minimum wage rose by 4.1% in April with larger increases for workers between 18 and 20 years old.

In terms of other GP practice staff, the LMC would obviously advise partners to follow any clauses within employment contracts, although very few are on national pay scales, such as AfC. However, many practice staff do see the DDRB Award as a benchmark and consider ARRS salary claim scales in the same way. GPC England has ensured partner organisations, such as the RCN, are aware of the way in which contractual Contractor uplifts do not translate into the same % in terms of received income.