Government has once again failed to deliver the recommendations of our pay review body, delivering another real-terms pay cut to England’s struggling NHS dental service.
Confirmed today, an overall contract uplift of 3.55% for 2025-26 is incapable of meeting the recommended 4% uplift in take home pay made by the Review Body on Doctors and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) in late May.
There are two parts to this process. The DDRB first make a recommendation on pay, and then the Department of Health and Social Care follow up with their approach to expenses to generate a final figure. Consistent failure to properly reflect increases in overheads typically ensures it is impossible to deliver the headline pay uplift in full.
While the Government embarked on a cost-of-service exercise earlier this year, it is yet to be published and there has been no attempt keep pace with the soaring costs of delivering NHS dentistry.
At 2.39%, the expenses element of the uplift is barely a quarter of what we estimate as necessary to cover the added costs facing practices. Last year staff costs escalated off the back of hikes to both National Insurance and the National Living Wage, lab fees surged by over 16% and the materials bill went up by nearly 5%.
This uplift should reach practices next month. The award for 2024-25 was confirmed in January, a record-breaking delay. We are set to supply our evidence for the 2026-27 awards later this month, and there is frankly no excuse for future delays. It is entirely plausible to ensure awards are in place at the outset of the next financial year, which is a stated government objective.
We are clear the Government now has both the time and the data to draw a line under a wholly unsustainable approach to these awards.
“Once again, Government has chosen not to follow our pay review body’s recommendations,” warns General Dental Practice Committee chair Shiv Pabary.
“Awards will reach practices six months late and fail to reflect the soaring costs of delivering NHS dentistry.
If ministers want this service to have a future they must turn the page.”
While the DDRB recommendation does not relate directly to the pay of associate dentists, associates might reasonably look to the award for an indication of an expected uplift in their own income. Members can access our advice for associates on negotiating a pay rise in England.
