§ The Secretary of State for Health (Dr. John Reid)I am responding on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the Supplement to the Thirty-second Report of the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB) which is being published today.
Copies of the Report are available in the Vote Office and the Library. The supplement covers general dental practitioners (GDPs), those in the salaried primary dental care services, general medical practice (GMP) registrars and salaried GMPs employed by a primary care organisation. The DDRB will report later on general medical services.
I am grateful to the Chairman and members of the Review Body for their hard work in dealing with their remit groups.
The Review Body has recommended an increase to the out of hours supplement payable to GMP Registrars which is in line with our pre-existing commitment to this group. It has also recommended a pay range for salaried GMPs employed by primary care organisations for the first time.
Salaried dentists accepted a three-year pay offer in March, linked to a review of salaried dental services. For GDPs, the DDRB has recommended an increase in the feescale of 3.225 per cent., from 1 April 2003 and an increase in the National Health Service commitment scheme of £9 million for Great Britain.
The Review Body's pay recommendations are being accepted in full and without staging.