Pay rise for doctors and dentists

Salaried doctors and dentists working in Scotland, who earn below £80,000, are to receive a 3% increase in pay in 2018/19.

The Dentists’ and Doctors’ Pay Award will be backdated to 1 April 2018. It will balance the recommendations of the Doctors and Dentists Pay Review Body (DDRB) with the Scottish Public Sector Pay Policy (SPSPP), and is in line with the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay deal for 2018-2021.

Independent contractor GPs will also receive a 3% increase in earnings in 2018/19, compared with 2% for GPs in England. This is in addition to wider investment in support of the new General Medical Services contract of more than £100 million. Independent contractor dentists (GDPs) will receive 2% net of expenses.

Increases in pay for NHS salaried doctors and dentists earning more than £80,000 will be capped at £1,600, in line with the AfC pay deal and the SPSPP.  

The increase in pay means that - based on an uplift from 1 April - junior doctors will be paid at least £444 more than their counterparts in England.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said:

“Scotland’s health service is founded on the incredible contribution of its staff and this agreement recognises the role played by our doctors and dentists.

“This pay increase will be backdated to 1 April – something that is not happening in England. It follows our minimum 9% rise for NHS Agenda for Change employees over the next three years - which will give those 147,000 employees the best pay conditions in the UK.

“By offering fair pay increases we can help to support recruitment and retention of staff, encouraging health professionals to build their careers in Scotland’s NHS.”

Background

 In comparison with England based on an uplift from 1 April 2018:

Consultants in NHS Scotland will be paid between £826 and £1,775 more

Specialty doctors will be paid £591 to £1,105 more

Associate specialists will be paid £288 to £828 more

Junior doctors will be paid between £444 and £534 more