GPs on the additional roles reimbursement scheme (ARRS) will get a higher pay rise than other staff on the scheme, the government has confirmed.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) told Pulse PCN today that GPs on ARRS will get the 3.5% uplift in 2026/27, as recommended by the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB).

This is higher than the other ARRS staff paid directly by NHS England, whose pay increases will be in line with the 3.3% agreed for Agenda for Change (AfC) staff.

But pay uplifts for staff that are hired directly by GP practices will depend on the respective owners, in the same way as last year.

In a statement the DHSC said that ‘GPs on ARRS will get the 3.5% uplift and it will be funded’.

The DHSC also said: ‘It's up to practices to provide the uplift to their staff as their staff are employed by them, not the NHS. 

'We have provided funding to practices to allow them to make the pay uplifts, including a direct uplift for ARRS staff, so their salaries which are directly reimbursed by NHSE will be increased in line with pay review recommendations.'

Its comments come after health secretary Wes Streeting said there will be ‘increased funding’ for ARRS.

In a written statement he said this was to ‘facilitate uplifts for staff in line with DDRB and NHSPRB [NHS Pay Review body] recommendations’

Mr Streeting also confirmed that he was ‘formally accepting’ the pay recommendation from the DDRB, which means ‘for GPs and other general practice staff there will be a 3.5% increase to the pay elements of the GP contract’.

He also said that the pay increases will be delivered ‘as soon as possible’.

Mr Streeting added: ‘These awards are above forecast inflation over the 2026/27 pay year, meaning that the government is delivering a real-terms pay rise, on top of those in preceding years, underlining the extent to which we value our doctors and dentists.

‘We are in the process of concluding business planning across DHSC and its arm's length bodies and that will take the DDRB recommendations into account.

‘The existing challenging, productivity and efficiency commitments required by ICBs and providers to deliver breakeven positions are the foundations of the Government’s ability to agree this within the existing settlement.’

Mr Streeting also stressed that the ‘the DDRB increases will not be paid for by cutting frontline services’.

The DDRB recommendation applies to contractor and salaried GPs across all four nations in the UK, and to resident doctors across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

But the British Medical Association (BMA) said the 3.5% pay rise will be a ‘crushing blow’ to doctors in England because it represented another real terms pay cut because it is below current retail price index measure of inflation at 3.6%.

BMA council chair Dr Tom Dolphin said: ‘It will dash any hope that the government might be prepared to properly recognise the expertise and contribution of doctors to the health of the nation, and it shows that the promised reforms to the DDRB have not resulted in it showing its independence from government in any way.

‘Both the recommendation and award fail to meet the rising cost of living, let alone make any progress in restoring pay that doctors have lost over the last 17 years’.

The doctors’ union has announced that resident doctors will stage a six-day strike from 7-13 April, a decision Mr Streeting described as ‘enormously disappointing’.

Ministers in February announced a 3.3% pay rise for NHS staff on AfC contracts, while the new GP contract will allow PCNs to hire experienced doctors through the ARRS.