We welcome the opportunity to submit evidence to the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB) on behalf of NHS trusts and foundation trusts, to inform the 2024/25 pay round. The key messages from our submission, based on a number of information sources including our survey of trust HR directors, are as follows:

• The NHS and its staff remain under considerable pressure, including the challenges of winter. The 2024/25 pay round commences in challenging operational and economic conditions, both for staff and trusts. Such pressure impacts retention and recruitment, as well as staff morale and wellbeing. The last 12 months have seen the most extensive period of industrial action in the NHS’ 75 year history, with more now due from junior doctors in December 2023 and January 2024
• Trust leaders are clear that a meaningful pay increase for NHS doctors is vital in 2024/25. 43% of respondents to our survey called for an uplift of 5%; 15% support an uplift of 4%; 24% support an uplift of 6-9%; and 9% support an uplift over 10%
• The majority of respondents (50%) do not support targeted pay awards for groups under the remit of the DDRB. The 35% of respondents supporting the implementation of targeted pay were unanimous in their preference for this to be targeted towards junior doctors (100%; a marked increase on 25% saying the same last year). Some of these respondents thought that there should also be targeted pay awards for SAS doctors on 2021 contracts (56%) and SAS doctors on the 2008 contract (38%). There was no support for targeting towards consultants
• The delayed announcement of pay awards is damaging to staff morale and their personal financial planning, as well as to trust financial planning. As a point of principle, NHS staff deserve to go into each new financial year knowing their pay for that period
• It is essential that the 2024/25 pay award is fully funded by central government. We again ask that the DDRB makes an explicit recommendation for government to commit to fully funding the pay uplifts it decides to award NHS staff, rather than funding the award from existing budgets which will undermine vital plans for service transformation.