How are doctors paid in the UK – and how much?
Different types of NHS doctor are paid in different ways.
GPs
GPs are self-employed and most are paid by the number of patients registered on their list – through a ‘General Medical Services (GMS)’ contract.
The numbers are submitted to NHS England four times a year. Under the GMS contract, there is no incentive to see, investigate or treat patients, encouraging a balanced healthcare provision and efficient use of resources.
However, GPs can receive incentive payments for undertaking work outside the GMS contract, e.g. via the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) which encourages preventative medicine.
Most GP buildings are owned by the senior (‘partner’) GPs. Practices also employ ‘salaried’ GPs (i.e. have a salary), and long or short-term locums.
The latter are paid more, to reflect the transient ‘on-demand’ nature of their work, and lack of job security.
Other staff employed in GP practices include practice managers, nurses, an IT manager (in bigger practices), administration staff and cleaners. Other senior health professionals may also work there – including physician associates (PAs), advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) and advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs) – who also see patients independently; and paramedics, who may do home visits.
So GP practices are actually small businesses that must make money, to pay all their staff. Other ways GPs earn money include onsite pharmacies and doing medical examinations for insurance companies.
A senior GP can earn over £120k per year from the NHS. There are also few private GPs in the UK though this is not a widespread system.
Hospital doctors
They are paid in a different way. Hospital doctors get a salary. And as their careers progress from junior doctor to registrar to consultant that salary increases.
Like GPs, there is no incentive to see more patients, or do more tests, procedures or operations – leading to a good use of their resources
Senior hospital consultants can also earn over £120k a year from the NHS. Many hospital consultants augment their NHS salaries by doing private practice and medicolegal work. So very high salaries are possible.
Summary
We have described how are doctors paid in the UK. We hope it has been helpful.
