The Welsh Government will be investing extra funding in addition to the consequential funding they will receive from the decision by the UK Government to raise pay for NHS staff in England.
The offer, which will provide a pay increase for staff across the NHS, has been negotiated with employers and unions. It will now need to be approved through a ballot of union members. It means all NHS staff in Wales will have pay parity with their counterparts in England, following the recently announced new pay deal there.
The Health Secretary said:
“I am pleased to announce, following negotiations with unions and employers, that we are now able to offer a much deserved pay rise to our hardworking and dedicated NHS staff.
“As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the NHS in Wales, it is appropriate we recognise those who have made the service what is today and continue to deliver the best possible care for all in their time of need. Our NHS in Wales simply could not function without the skill, dedication and hard work of its staff.
After 8 hard years of austerity, imposed by the UK Government, we have committed extra funding beyond the consequential funding that we received following the pay rise in England, to offer a deal which is not only fair to staff and taxpayers but will also lead to a better NHS for Wales.”
The deal matches the offer made in England and goes beyond it in some areas which are important to our NHS in Wales.
These include a continuing commitment to look at the annual Living Wage Foundation recommendations so that NHS pay scales remain fair in the future. In addition, recognising the specific commitments to improve the health, wellbeing and attendance of NHS staff in Wales, the offer provides better payments during sickness absence than in England. Trade unions and employers will also work together to support individuals if they face a diagnosis of a terminal illness including support for the TUC “Dying to Work” campaign.
The pay offer includes:
- Going beyond our commitment to the Living Wage Foundation recommendations, with a new rate of £17,460 introduced from 1 April 2018 as the minimum basic pay rate in the NHS and the lowest starting NHS salary increases to £18,005 in 20/21.
- Investing in higher starting salaries for staff in every pay band by reforming the pay system to remove overlapping pay points.
- Guaranteeing fair basic pay awards for the next three years to the staff who are at the top of pay bands;
- Guaranteeing fair basic pay awards and faster progression pay for the next three years to those staff who are not yet on the top of their pay band.
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