Any NHS pay award above 2.4% for doctors and dentists in England would have to come from existing health budgets, forcing ‘difficult trade-offs’ in healthcare delivery, the government has warned.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) set out the 2.4% figure in its evidence to the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB).
The British Dental Association (BDA) accused ministers of proposing a real-terms pay cut.
BDA chair Eddie Crouch said: ‘The government claims it wants to “match resources to need” in NHS dentistry. It is impossible to see how it achieves that, with what amounts to a pay cut for dentists already thinking twice about their futures. This document talks of tough choices and trade-offs. The reality is reheated austerity here will have a lasting impact for millions struggling to access care.’
The DDRB will make its recommendation after considering evidence from the government, BDA and other organisations.
Scottish dentists receive 3.75%
In the previous English pay round, hospital dentists received a 3.5% increase, while salaried dentists working in community dental services received 3.75%. The BDA warned that the settlement did not adequately reflect rising practice costs. Read Dentistry’s full coverage of the 2026/27 dental pay award.
The news comes days after the Scottish Government accepted a 3.75% pay increase for NHS general dental practitioners. The Scottish award covers 2026/27 and will be backdated to April.
Dentistry waits behind other priorities
The pay evidence followed the recent Labour Party conference at which prime minister Andy Burnham placed social care at the centre of the government’s health agenda, promising a National Care Service during the next parliament.
Dentistry received only a passing reference in health secretary Yvette Cooper’s speech, prompting the British Dental Association to criticise the government’s ‘radio silence’ on the NHS dental crisis.
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