More than one million NHS staff in England are set to receive pay rises from today following months of industrial action.
Eligible workers on the Agenda for Change contract which includes nurses, paramedics and midwives will receive the pay rise backdated to April.
The new package agreed between the Government and unions will mean a newly qualified nurse will see their salary go up by more than £2,750 over two years from 2021-21 to 2023-24.
As well as receiving over £1,890 in one-off payments this year and a one-off ‘NHS backlog bonus’ which recognizes the sustained pressure NHS staff have been under since the pandemic.
The bonus will be worth at least £1,250 per person but will be determined based on the staff’s experience and pay band.
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Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: ‘We’re giving nurses, paramedics, physiotherapists and other eligible staff a fair pay rise, which will see for example, band six staff getting an extra £5,000 over two years.
‘We hugely value the work of NHS staff and the vital role they’re playing to cut waiting lists, which is one of the Government’s five priorities, and recognises the work they put in day in and day out.’
Under the deal, eligible staff will receive a non-consolidated award of 2% of an individual’s salary for 2022 to 2023.
In addition, the Government has given Agenda for Change staff a 5% consolidated increase in pay for 2023 to 2024.
This pay increase was reached after talks between unions including UNISON and GMB and the government.
Following the majority union vote to accept the government’s pay, UNISON head Sara Gorton said: ‘This pay deal must be the start of something new in the NHS. There cannot be a repeat of the past few months. Everyone who cares about the NHS deserves better. That means improving the process that sets health worker wages.
‘The NHS remains desperately short of staff too. Services can only cope with growing demand if there’s a properly resourced and well-supported workforce. Government must now work with unions to achieve just that.’