We are urging the Northern Ireland Executive to act to support dentistry by ensuring ‘on-time’ payment of pay uplifts for 2026-27. We have also appealed for whole-Executive support ahead of the Department of Health (DoH) commissioned cost-of-service report into General Dental Services (GDS), to be submitted imminently to the health minister.
In their 54th report published on 25 March, the Review Body for Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) has, for the first time in decades made a higher pay recommendation for dentistry. In addition, the review body has clearly stated that substantial reform to the contracts is needed to make NHS dentistry attractive.
We are also pressing the Northern Ireland Executive to fully support moves to expedite a process of dental payment reform with us as a matter of urgency in order to stabilise and reform dental services during the remainder of this mandate.
Read our letter on the DDRB recommendation implementation to the First and deputy First Ministers.
Payment timelines reminder
1. £1.6m GDS Activity Enhancement Payment 2025-26 to be received in the April payment schedule
2. DDRB 2025-26: Partial arrears (80%) in March 2026, with remaining payments issued between April and June 2026
Read the letter about the GDS uplift arrears
3. DDRB 2026-27:
Recommendations included in the DDRB 54th report published on 25 March:
- 3.5% uplift recommended for hospital dentists
- 3.75% uplift for Community Dental Services dentists and pay element for GDPs.
The timeline of when 2026-27 uplifts will be received is dependent on when the NI Executive budget is agreed. DoH had previously indicated a May or June pay for salaried dentists.