The pay element for general dental practitioners (GDPs) and orthodontic fees in Scotland will receive a 4% uplift, it has been confirmed.
The Scottish Government accepted the 4% recommendation made by the 53rd Report of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) in May.
Speaking at the time, health secretrary Wes Streeting said: ‘These are thoroughly deserved pay rises for all our hard-working nurses, doctors and other NHS staff. We inherited a broken health service with extremely low morale after years of pay erosion and poor industrial relations.’
As in previous years, the increase on pay will apply to gross item of service fees and capitation payments. The pay award will be implemented from 1 November 2025 and backdated to 1 April 2025.
The pay award will be included in the October paid November 2025 schedule for claims with an acceptance date on or after 1 November 2025.
Backdated payments will be included in the November paid December 2025 schedule for claims with an acceptance date from 1 April 2025 to 31 October 2025.
Increased staffing costs
The British Dental Association (BDA) believes the award does not go far enough. It called for the Scottish Government to apply the pay uplift to the full package of remuneration in the Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR) – but this was not implemented.
It stated: ‘Of particular concern for the current financial year is the impact of measures in the UK Autumn Budget to increase the national minimum wage and employer national insurance contributions. We asked for full mitigation of the increase in employer’s national insurance contributions.’
The BDA supported the DDRB position, which stated: ‘Primary care will also be facing an increase in staffing costs from the increase in employer’s National Insurance contributions and increases to the National Living Wage. These should be reflected in the uplift to the staffing costs component of primary care contracts.’
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