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Government confirms the 2026–27 doctors’ pay award
Department of Health and Social CareStandalone flagship programmeContracts, Job Planning,
Contracts, Job Planning,
Pay & Pensions
Understand what governs the post, make workload visible, verify pay and plan pension decisions without confusing generic guidance with individual advice.
Define grade, hours, pay and incorporated rules. The title alone is not enough.
Describes activities, time, objectives, resources, locations and review.
Records deferred benefits under regulations; it is not the same as gross or taxable pay.
What decision is in front of you?
This directs learning only. It cannot interpret an individual contract or recommend a pension decision.
How to use the programme
Identify, evidence, agree, verify and review
For a complete foundation, work through Modules 1–12. For a live issue, use the route finder, preserve deadlines and seek individual representation before signing a disputed variation or making an irreversible pension decision. Each module contains detailed teaching, six scenarios, a complete PDF, sources and relevant workbooks.
Private progress
0 of 12 modules completed
Progress storage is off. Knowledge checks still work, but results are not remembered.
Complete learning pathway
Twelve modules from first contract to later career
Follow the sequence or open the module matching today’s question.
Stage 1
Know what governs your work
01
Your employment document map: what actually governs your work
→02Understand how the advert, offer, contract, terms, job description, rota and job plan fit together—and what to do when they conflict.
18 min read · 6 questions · PDFUK contracts, grades and four-nation differences
→Identify the correct SAS or local contractual framework in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland without assuming uniformity.
18 min read · 6 questions · PDFStage 2
Design and control the job
03
Job planning foundations: time, scope, objectives and resources
→04Turn duties into a prospective, mutually understood plan that protects clinical work, supporting activity and safe delivery.
18 min read · 6 questions · PDFWorkload evidence, annualisation, travel and hidden work
→05Use proportionate evidence to make administration, interruptions, cross-site travel and recurring excess work visible.
18 min read · 6 questions · PDFJob-plan review, disagreement, mediation and appeal
→Prepare for annual review, document unresolved issues and use the correct contractual route without personalising the dispute.
18 min read · 6 questions · PDFStage 3
Understand and verify pay
06
Pay structure and the medical payslip
→07Reconstruct gross-to-net pay, identify contractual components and investigate errors without guessing from take-home pay.
18 min read · 6 questions · PDFPay progression, gateways, protection and contract transition
→08Understand when progression is conditional, how to prepare for a gateway and what to check during transfer or pay protection.
18 min read · 6 questions · PDFOn-call, out-of-hours work and additional duties
→Identify what is already contracted, how availability differs from work done, and how to agree extra activity safely.
18 min read · 6 questions · PDFStage 4
Protect time and development
Stage 5
Understand the pension
10
NHS Pension Scheme: sections, contributions and record control
→11Understand the broad scheme architecture, distinguish pensionable pay from total pay and keep records accurate across career changes.
18 min read · 6 questions · PDFMcCloud remedy, pension tax and partial retirement
→Recognise when remedy, annual allowance or flexible-retirement issues require official calculations and regulated advice.
18 min read · 6 questions · PDFFive controls
Do not let the documents drift apart
Use these checks after appointment, annual review and every material change.
Contract, grade and national terms identified.
Job plan matches duties, time and resources.
Pay point, WTE and allowances reconcile.
Leave, SPA and safe-hours rules remain workable.
Pension service and pensionable pay are verified.
Use without uploading documents
Five practical checks
These tools organise questions; they do not calculate contractual entitlement, tax or pension benefits.
Can you reconstruct the post?
Tick only documents you hold in their current accepted version.
Make the week visible
Enter representative weekly hours. This does not determine contractual categorisation or entitlement.
Entries stay only in this page and are not stored or transmitted.Check the payslip without sharing it
Who can answer the question?
Download and apply
Eight practical workbooks
Use on a trusted device. Do not include patient information or documents you are not authorised to retain.
Workbook 01
Contract and Offer Comparison Workbook
Compare the offer, contract, national terms, job description and local schedules clause by clause.
Download PDF ↓Workbook 02Job Plan and Activity Diary Workbook
Capture DCC, SPA, other duties, administration, interruptions, travel and annual frequency.
Download PDF ↓Workbook 03Job Plan Review, Mediation and Appeal Pack
Turn disputed time, classification, objectives or resources into a focused evidence-led case.
Download PDF ↓Workbook 04Pay, Payslip and Progression Audit
Reconcile salary, WTE, pay point, allowances, arrears, deductions and progression dates.
Download PDF ↓Workbook 05On-call, Additional Work and Safe Hours Checklist
Check availability, work done, premium time, rest, cancellation and recurring extra duties.
Download PDF ↓Workbook 06Leave, SPA, Development and Expenses Planner
Prepare clear requests and track approval, funding, protected time and reimbursement.
Download PDF ↓Workbook 07NHS Pension Record and Questions Pack
Audit membership, employment history, pensionable pay, statements, remedy records and queries.
Download PDF ↓Workbook 08Retirement and Partial Retirement Planner
Coordinate pension choices with future hours, job plan, income, health, tax and succession.
Download PDF ↓Situational judgement exercise
Contracts, pay and pensions capstone
Work across contract, job-plan, pay, additional-work and pension decisions. This is educational and cannot determine an individual entitlement or financial outcome.
Question 1 of 24
Choose one answer to continue.
Current official starting points
Find the live national document
Pay awards, scales and implementation dates change. The announcement date, effective date and payment date may differ.
Connected guidance
Use the correct neighbouring programme
Contract questions can overlap with career design, difficult workplace situations, professional regulation and nation-specific Wales arrangements.
Source and review controls
Verify before acting
Use the contract and official source for the relevant nation, grade, scheme and tax year.
NHS Employers · medical pay circulars ↗NHSBSA · member hub ↗HMRC · annual allowance ↗Content last checked 8 September 2026. Review live sources, contract version and individual advice before a consequential decision.
Ongoing professional development
Prepare for appraisal and maintain your portfolio
Map whole-practice evidence, plan feedback and build a realistic PDP. Keep appraisal, employment progression and specialist registration distinct.
Appraisal, Revalidation & Professional Portfolio →