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  7. Pay in England: 2023

Last updated: 3 November 2023

How does the announcement on pay apply to me?

Contractors

Those holding NHS contracts receive an annual uplift to their contract value. This incorporates both the pay uplift and an uplift in respect of expenses. The pay element is derived from the DDRB recommendation and therefore will be 6%. The expenses element is determined by the Department of Health and Social Care and it has confirmed to the BDA that this will be set at 3.23%. The contract uplift will therefore be 5.13%. We made a robust case to the Minister that this level of uplift was entirely out of line with the costs practices face to deliver NHS care and will effectively mean that dentists need to prop up the NHS out of their own pockets.

Associates

The pay uplift does not apply directly to associates' incomes. While there is no requirement for practices to increase associate pay, associates might reasonably look to the headline 6% uplift for an indication of an expected uplift in their own income and it would be prudent for practices to increase pay in line with the 6% pay uplift. However, we recognise that practice income has been under enormous pressure for a number of years and therefore any decision on pay increases for associates will inevitably reflect local business circumstances, and will be a matter for direct negotiation between the parties. Current recruitment difficulties may also be a factor in pay negotiations between associates and practice owners. We encourage associates and practice owners to discuss their contractual terms in light of the uplift, when it is implemented. As set out above, the government has yet to confirm when the uplift will be paid from.

Employed NHS dentists

Those dentists in employed NHS roles have had the pay uplift applied to their salary.

For hospital dental trainees, the uplift will be 6% plus £1,250. For specialist and associate specialist (SAS) doctors on the 2021 contract, the uplift will be 3% on top of the increase for 2023-24 already agreed as part of the multi-year deal. For all others in employed NHS roles, such as in the CDS, academia, those on the pre-2021 SAS contract, and hospital consultants, the uplift will be 6%.

Armed Forces dentists

For armed forces dentists, there will be 5% for all ranks within the MODO cadre, with a consolidated increase of £1,000 for all full-time UK Regular personnel and a pro-rata increase for other cohorts from 1 April 2023.