BDA reacts to NHS staff pay deal
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- Published: Monday, 26 March 2018 07:38
- Written by News Editor
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Speaking about the recent pay deal announced between the NHS and its staff, BDA Chair Mick Armstrong said: "We welcome recognition that taking NHS pay restraint to the nth degree is not compatible with a sustainable workforce or patient access. Colleagues are now looking for a sign that government is willing to apply that logic to all parts of the health service.”
Mick continued: "NHS dentistry is facing similar pressures on recruitment and retention, that risk becoming endemic in the face of an historic collapse in real incomes. It's imperative this deal sets a precedent for all frontline health professionals."
The BDA said it welcomed the deal struck between NHS staff unions and government, and insisted it must set a precedent for dentists and other frontline health professionals. The deal effectively marks the end of the NHS pay cap that has existed since 2010, and is a response to burgeoning pressures within the workforce, including 33,000 nurses leaving the NHS in the past year. The package does not apply to doctors or dentists who have been facing similar pressures, but the “logic must be applied to all frontline health professionals, including dentists in hospital, community and general dental practice.”
Recent survey evidence suggests over two thirds (68%) of NHS practices in England who attempted to recruit in the last year struggled to fill vacancies. The BDA has also reported that 58% of NHS dentists say they are now planning to leave the service in the next 5 years. Colleagues working with vulnerable patients in community practice have seen recruitment issues emerge in specialist posts, and are reporting - for the first time ever - net dissatisfaction about pay.
Announcing the deal, which must now be put to NHS staff, Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "NHS staff have never worked harder and this deal is recognition of that - alongside some important modernisation of the way their contracts work. Over one million employees on Agenda for Change contracts - including the lowest paid NHS workers - will get pay rises that see starting salary increased from £15,404 to £18,005 in 2020/2021. The starting salary of a nurse will rise to £26,970 which will have a significant impact on retention and recruitment issues."
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