All doctors, including general practitioners, should be awarded at least a 1% pay rise next year to account for years of pay freezes and below inflation pay increases, the BMA has said.

The government has instructed the independent Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) to consider awarding doctors a pay rise of 1% for 2013-14, but has suggested that the body does not need to make any recommendations on the gross contract uplift for general practitioners.

Earlier this week, NHS Employers called for the current public sector pay freeze to be extended for a further year for all NHS staff, arguing that the NHS could not afford any pay uplift without cutting jobs and …