BDA slams 1% pay rise recommended for dentists

pay rise
The DDRB has recommended a 1% pay rise for dentists

The Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) has recommended a 1% pay rise for dentists in 2016/17.

The report also recommended a 1% non-consolidated payment for salaried dentists, who received a 2% non-consolidated payment in 2015/16 and have not moved on to a new pay scale.

The British Dental Association (BDA) believes that the DDRB has failed to recognise the ‘25% decline in dentists’ real income since 2006′.

Funding gap

‘Dentists take home pay has fallen by 25% in a decade, and these recommendations do nothing to change that dangerous direction of travel,’ Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, chair of the BDA’s General Dental Practice Committee (GDPC), said.

‘The DDRB has avoided the chronic need for investment in NHS dentistry, and has not acknowledged GDPs’ mounting expenses.

‘This modest uplift will leave many dentists struggling to provide needed investment in training, equipment and materials.

‘The DDRB believes that its remit is remuneration, not investment, but Ministers know our pay packets serve both purposes.

‘An already over-stretched workforce is still having to plug the funding gap in NHS dentistry, and we now require a clear signal from the Government that it is prepared to share the burden.

‘We recognise that pay restraint is a reality, but government under-investment is a choice.

‘Failure to act will have lasting consequences for oral health provision in Britain.’

Favorite
Get the most out of your membership by subscribing to Dentistry CPD
  • Access 600+ hours of verified CPD courses
  • Includes all GDC recommended topics
  • Powerful CPD tracking tools included
Register for webinar
Share
Add to calendar