What you should know about PCN pay rises

Should the PCN and general practice staff percentage pay rise be the same? What percentage pay rise should PCNs offer their team as part of their annual pay review? Find out the answer to these questions, and more, below

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Primary Care Network Specialists

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we have and are tackling in the networks we support and had to work through.

What percentage pay rise should PCNs offer their team as part of their annual pay review?

A number of factors will influence this:

• How have your team members progressed against performance objectives?
• Have they taken on additional responsibilities?
• Where does their current salary sit when benchmarked against other roles in the network and neighbouring networks?
• The pay rise percentage range being offered by practices within your network?
• The available ARRS budget for each role and any available funding provided by other workstreams. i.e. core funding, last year’s impact and investment fund, the leadership and development fund, etc.
• Rising inflation and its impact on the cost of living.
• The recruitment trends experienced in your network to date.

From here, you will be able to ascertain what is fair.

Should the PCN and general practice staff percentage pay rise be the same?

No, but we do not want to create internal competition. There will already be a great range of salaries across the practices in your network, with the same role paid more in one practice and less in another.

However, if your network roles are hosted by a federation which also manages practices within the network or the PCN roles are hosted by an NHS organisation, the pay rise allocation should be consistent.

If the PCN has a separate structure from the above, you can agree on a different pay increase.

However, you, of course, can come to an agreement across your practices to maintain a consistent approach.

How can PCNs fund pay rises if they take us over the current maximum reimbursable rates?

You can use the following funding sources:

• Last year’s impact and investment fund
• The core funding
• The leadership and management fund
• The network participation funding
• The local capacity and access payments
• Practice funds

On this point, it’s worth remembering that the PCN receives the funds to employ roles that can generate income for the PCN and practice. Many practices already subsidise PCN roles and see this as a valuable investment.

Work with your finance lead, who can help you with scenario planning and financial forecasting.

Can I backdate a pay rise?

The 23/24 updated DES states:

The increased maximum reimbursement rates apply prospectively from 1 July 2023; claims for any backdated increases prior to this date are not eligible for reimbursement.

Do I have to give my PCN staff a pay rise in July 2023 when they have already received a pay rise in November 2022?

Pay raises should be granted in line with your pay rise policy. If you need to review your current salary allocations, this is a good opportunity to do so.

We want to create a pay rise policy, but we are unsure of what to include. What would you include?

Firstly, Humphrey would recommend you contact a qualified HR expert. However, you could look to incorporate the following.

Pay policy introduction

Pay is one of the most important factors in our working life and is a sensitive subject, and it is acknowledged that a fair and transparent process for allocating pay increases is required, and this is the purpose of this policy.

Outside of direct pay, PCN XXXX aims to provide a work environment which is welcoming, provides flexible working and enables you to progress in your role, which is also factored into your employment package.

This pay policy is to be read alongside your contract of employment and the other HR policies that support your employment.

The % pay increase will take into consideration employee performance over the business year, cost of living increases and the available financial envelope.

Example of a PCN commitment

• To provide continuous positive and constructive feedback on your performance.
• To ensure all employees will receive an annual pay review.
• To ensure monthly 1-2-1’s will take place, which will inform your annual pay and performance review.
• All pay rises are a reflection of the employee’s performance over the whole business year.
• In the annual performance review, all employees will receive confirmation of their pay increase within the month of XXXX.
• If an employee receives a pay increase due to increased responsibilities part way through the year, this will be reflected in the annual performance pay increase.

Example of an Employee Commitment

The Employee is responsible for:

• Maintaining a consistently good level of performance at work.
• Attending work ready to start at their specified time.
• Acting in a professional manner.
• Committing to their professional development.
• Fully participating in the process of managing their performance and working within your scope of practice.
• Ensuring they treat patients, colleagues and wider stakeholders fairly and equitably and in line with your professional code of conduct and terms and conditions of your employment.

Final thoughts

Allocating pay rises is always tricky, so it’s really important to be transparent. People talk, and inconsistencies can cause conflict and result in you losing key team members.

Ensure your team understand what their pay rise is based on, and they shouldn’t be hearing about this for the first time in their pay review.
There will never be enough money to go around for everyone to get exactly what they want, so look at the whole employment package that you offer but we must be fair and value our workforce.