NHS Employers' evidence to DDRB 2024/25

Access DDRB 22/23 (PDF)

Our submission includes:

• information about maintenance of the junior doctor contract following agreement of all outstanding provisions from the 2019 framework agreement
• an update on the transition of doctors to the new specialty doctor and specialist contracts
• an update on progress with negotiations for a Local Clinical Awards successor scheme from 2022/23
• information about the recruitment, retention and morale of salaried primary care dentists
• information on pensions and reward.

Key messages

• The COVID-19 pandemic has presented one of the biggest challenges that the NHS has ever faced, with work demands peaking and services being adapted, impacting negatively on staff health and wellbeing. The workforce is exhausted and in many situations it is struggling to cope.
• There are not enough staff to meet demand; the NHS entered the COVID-19 crisis with a shortage of at least 100,000 clinical staff. The significant gaps in the workforce must be addressed at a national level.
• With rises to national insurance (NI) contributions, freezing of personal allowance tax thresholds until 2026, and increased NHS Pension Scheme contributions for some, there is potential for members to experience a compounded negative impact on their take-home pay.
• Medical staff levels of engagement remained stable, with staff still highly motivated and positive about their jobs.
• Any pay award must be fully funded.
• All outstanding provisions from the 2019 framework agreement for doctors in training have been agreed.
• Securing the benefits associated with the introduction of the new SAS contract remains a priority for employers.

Access DDRB 21/22 (PDF)

Key messages

• The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the biggest challenges the NHS has faced.
• There has been an outstanding response from the workforce to the challenges presented by the pandemic.
• Staff have been under enormous pressure and supporting their health and wellbeing is a priority.
• Workforce shortages remain the highest concern for employers and the supply issues need to be addressed. Employers remain committed to retaining staff but the health and wellbeing of staff and the risks of staff burnout, especially considering the pandemic, coupled with gaps in the workforce make this a greater challenge.
• We welcome the confirmation in the 2020 Spending Review that NHS staff will receive a pay award. Employers want to see an award which is fully funded and sustainable and which is fair to all staff.
• In December 2020, parties concluded negotiations on two contracts, a new Specialty Doctor and a Specialist grade contract that will replace the closed associate specialist grade. The framework agreement proposal is now being put to a referendum of BMA members in the SAS grades, for implementation from April 2021.

Access DDRB 20/21 (PDF)

Our submission includes:

• an update following the agreement reached with the British Medical Association (BMA) on the junior doctor contract
• progress on work taken forward to develop the specialty and associate specialist (SAS) grade and proposals for contract reform
• an update on the revised Local Clinical Excellence Awards scheme for consultants and plans for a successor scheme from 2021
• information on pensions and reward.

Key messages

• The NHS, and its staff, continue to feel the combined effects of financial pressure, workforce shortages and rising demand.
• There is a risk that without the right workforce then the aims of the NHS People Plan will not be met.
• Any pay award over and above that already planned must be fully funded.
• The pensions tax issue is having a significant impact on senior staff across the NHS and on service delivery. We believe that the solution lies in a combination of scheme flexibilities, the removal of the cap and better information for staff, and that this should apply to all staff in time for the 2020/21 financial year.
• Employers, in general, do not support targeting pay. We should await the outcome of work currently underway as part of the people plan on the distribution of specialty trainees.
• The agreement reached with the BMA on the junior doctor contract and the three year pay deal was an important step and has allowed for partnership working to be re-established.
• The start of negotiations on contract reform for the SAS grade is a significant opportunity to re-establish the SAS doctor role as a positive and valued career choice.