Following months of delay, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has confirmed NI Executive approval has been received to proceed with payment of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) 2025-26 uplifts ‘in full’. These will be backdated to 1 April.
In May, the DDRB recommended a 4% uplift for the pay element of dental contracts and salaried dentists including those working in Community Dental Services, consultants, and Specialty and Associate Specialist dentists. Resident dentists will receive a 4% increase plus a consolidated uplift of £750.
Mike Nesbitt has advised he expects the Health and Social Care workforce to receive uplifts and backpay in February pay packets. The minister has also committed to avoiding a repeat of the delay by ensuring future pay awards are prioritised at the start of the financial year, with pay to be ringfenced in future budgets.
We have subsequently written to the Department of Health to seek clarity on how this uplift will translate to General Dental Services, specifically the net percentage uplift which will be applied to the Statement of Dental Remuneration, and timescales for payment.
We have sought assurances that payments owing to GDPs will be similarly expedited according to equivalent timescales for salaried colleagues.
For more information, you can read our full letter to Leanne Thompson, Head of General Dental and Ophthalmic Services.
