As colleagues will be aware, the DDRB published its recommendations for Doctors pay last month and since then discussions have continued in terms of translating this into current financial arrangements for practices.
The GP Contract Agreement for 2025/26 in April included a common public sector pay assumption of 2.8%, however, the DDRB recommendation was for a 4% uplift for both salaried GPs and GP Partners (Contractors), and NHS England have agreed to uplift both Global Sum, by a further 1.2%, and to increase the locum reimbursement fees payable under the Statement of Financial Entitlements [SFE] by the DDRB recommendation [4%] in line with the principles agreed in last years negotiation.
This means that Global Sum will rise from its current £121.79 to £123.34 [£1.55] which represents a 9.64% increase [£10.84] in Global Sum [£112.50] from 2024/25. This increase
will be backdated to 1st April 2025.
In addition, leave entitlement for parental leave [maternal, paternity, adoptive and shared parental leave] will be increased by 4%. An additional leave entitlement, for neonatal care, will be added to the SFE for parent(s) whose baby requires a period of special care after birth. All these entitlements can be claimed by practices in the normal way, via ICB claim forms. These increased ceilings are back dated to 1st April 2025 and the LMC will contact each ICB to confirm a review of any such claims made since then, so that a backdated payment can be made if appropriate. Each ICB will have individualised arrangements to implement this.
Exand the below box to see the ceiling payments:
The LMC recommends that any practice where a GP is suspended, and thus may be entitled to such payments, contacts the LMC for further individual advice.
Para 12 relates to payments made in respect of prolonged study leave which have also risen by 4%.
In the case of neonatal care leave, this is an employee entitlement for which leave can be claimed; the wording of the SFE indicates that the practice will need to provide the ICB with a letter from the GP to whom the entitlement for such leave applies specifying the date and duration during which neonatal care leave will be taken.
Partners may wish to consider including such leave entitlements within their Partnership Agreements.
For the present, these leave entitlements under the SFE only apply to General Practitioners [Performers] under the Medical Performers List , and not to other staff Other allowances increased following the Governments accetance of the DDRB’s recommendations are:
- GP Trainer Grant
- Educational Allowance
- Dispensing Fees [an announcement will be made prior to the planned uplift date of 1st
October 2025]
Arrangements for GPs recruited under the ARRS
GPC England believes GPs recruited via the ARRS programme should have parity with other GPs in terms of their leave entitlements and employers should not be disadvantaged in terms of such employment. NHS England has agreed to this approach, although as the employment arrangements of such GPs vary the PCN DES specification has been written to enable all GPs (and employers) to benefit from this, noting that normally only a Contractor [Partnership] can claim reimbursement under the SFE, for either themselves [as partners] or an employee. The PCN DES specification will now include an Annex [Annex E] to cover these circumstances.
The nature of the entitlement [paternity, maternity, sick leave, etc] is a cut-out from the current SFE arrangements, as are the sums payable for the periods and circumstances.
If the ARRS programme GP is directly employed by a PCN member practice, they are entitled to the SFE reimbursements under current arrangements, because they are the practices employee, even if the reimbursements for their salary (and on-costs) comes via the ARRS in part or wholly.
If the ARRS programme GP is employed by a Third Party Organisation, that organisation can now claim for SFE equivalent reimbursement in the same circumstances (and for the same amounts) as a contractor [member practice] employed GP.
A Third Party Organisation includes:
- A PCN that is incorporated
- An incorporated federation of GP practices
- An incorporated voluntary sector employer
- A Local Authority, or
- An NHS Trust
This list is not exclusive and if a GP is employed in other circumstances and may be entitled to equivalent leave please contact the LMC to discuss this.
Colleagues should note that any claims made under these arrangements are not part of the PCNs Additional Roles Reimbursement Sum and will be paid by the Commissioner separately. This is noted in Para 7.2 of the updated Part B Guidance to the Network Contract DES 2025/26.
I hope this update is helpful; colleagues should also note LMC Guidance:
- Changes to PCN DES reimbursements including ARRS arrangements
- Applying the DDRB recommendations to practices
Dr Julius Parker, Chief Executive