The 6% uplift to the GP contract to fund pay rises for practice staff and salaried GPs in England will be applied ‘shortly’, NHS England (NHSE) has promised.

In July, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced a 6% uplift in general practice funding, intended to cover a pay uplift for salaried GPs and other salaried practice staff in England, including some pharmacists. However, the decision to pass on the uplift is at the discretion of each employer.

The payment will be backdated to April 2023, but has not yet been received by general practices, as it is still being discussed by the British Medical Association (BMA)'s GP Committee, NHSE, and DHSC.

At the end of July, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) created a letter template for practice nurse members to send to their employers seeking implementation of the promised pay rise as soon as possible.

And last month, the BMA advised GPs to explain to practice staff that they have not yet received money to fund a 6% pay rise promised by the government.

Pharmacists employed directly by general practice could be entitled to this 6% uplift, although this is at the discretion of their employer.

Meanwhile, pharmacists employed under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) could receive a 5% uplift in their salary, although this is at the discretion of their PCN.

Since July 2023, PCNs have been allowed to claim up to £62,340 per clinical pharmacist compared to £59,312 previously – not taking into account the High Cost Area Supplements (HCAS).

This represents a 5% increase on the amount they were previously allowed to claim for staff salaries, but they have not been given any increase in overall funding to do so.

Some doctors in England will also be receiving a pay rise, with the average junior doctor getting an 8.8% increase and consultants 6%, also backdated to April 2023.

Health and social care secretary Steve Barclay said the pay rise was above that of most in the public and private sectors.

‘We have worked at speed to ensure they will start receiving this in their pay packets this month,’ he said.  And he called on the BMA to end further strike action.

Last week, the BMA announced that junior doctors and consultants in England will jointly undertake four days of strike action.

Across September and October, for the first time in the history of the NHS, there will be four days in which junior doctors and consultants coordinate industrial action. This is in addition to other days on which junior doctors only or consultants only will be on strike.

Consultants in England will be striking 19 and 20 September, with ‘Christmas Day’ levels of cover.

Junior doctors will join the strike on 20 September, also with ‘Christmas Day’ levels of cover. They will continue to full walkouts on 21 and 22 September.

Both consultants and junior doctors will be striking 2, 3, and 4 October, again with Christmas Day’ levels of cover.

A version of this article first appeared on our sister title Management in Practice.