Delayed funding hampers GP pay rise

As reported by GP Online, while hospital doctors have already begun receiving a 6% pay rise from September, the delivery of funding has only recently concluded, causing delays and concerns among GP practices

The government announced in July that it would increase GP contract funding to support a 6% pay uplift for salaried GPs and practice staff in 2023/24.

Hospital doctors began to receive the pay rise from September – but talks on how funding should be delivered to bridge the gap between the 2.1% staff pay uplift built into the five-year GP contract agreement and the 6% uplift only concluded this month.

The government confirmed on 2 October that global sum payments to GP practices would be increased by £2.45 to £104.73 for 2023/24 to help practices cover the cost of the higher pay rise.

An NHS England update last week confirmed that funding to cover back-pay would not come through until next month: ‘The uplift is backdated to April 2023, with April to September arrears payments being made in November.’

The NHS England update added that ‘practices should now pass this on to all salaried general practice staff as soon as possible’.

GP leaders say some practices could pass on the 6% uplift to salaried GPs and staff before additional funding comes through next month – but warned that decisions to award the rise early will depend on individual practices’ cash flow.

Practices could also struggle to afford the uplift if the funding falls short of covering the pay rise in full. GPonline reported earlier this year on concerns that delivering the uplift through the global sum could create ‘winners and losers’ – with factors such as higher or lower proportions of partners and staff funded through enhanced services – funding for which will not rise under the global sum increase – determining how practices fare.

A BMA update on the contract uplift says core funding for general practice covers three elements – GP partners’ income, other staff expenses and other expenses.

The ‘other staff expenses’ element, worth 44% of the global sum, is the element of funding that will be increased to deliver the 6% pay uplift. This element had already been increased by 2.1% (£80.21m) for 2023/24 to deliver the original pay rise planned under the five-year deal – and will rise by a further 3.9% (152.93m) now. The ‘other staff expenses’ cover salary, on-costs and other staff benefits.

BMA England GP committee leaders said they had agreed to a 6% uplift for the trainers grant in 2023/24 but that a request to increase funding for sickness and parental leave by the same amount had not been agreed.