NHS nurses, paramedics, consultants, dentists, and salaried GPs, in England will receive a 3% pay rise, which will be backdated from April 2021. This follows on from the government’s acceptance of the recommendations made by the independent NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB); and the Review Body for Doctors’ and Dentists’ Renumeration (DDRB).
This will mean an additional £1,000 a year for the average nurse, and around £540 for many porters and cleaners. The pay recommendations were considered by independent pay review bodies, who looked at a range of evidence from organisations, such as the government, the NHS and trade unions.
Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: “NHS staff are rightly receiving a pay rise this year despite the wider public sector pay pause, in recognition of their extraordinary efforts. We asked the independent pay review bodies for their recommendations and I’m pleased to accept them in full, with a 3% pay rise for all staff in scope, from doctors and nurses to paramedics and porters.
“We will back the NHS as we focus our efforts on getting through this pandemic and tackling the backlog of other health problems that has built up. I will continue to do everything I can to support all those in our health service who are working so tirelessly to care for patients.”
In response to the government’s pay review, the RCM has said that this is not enough to resolve the issue around empty vacancies, or prevent staff from leaving the profession permanently, following on from the increased pressure in the last year or so.
RCM’s Executive Director for External Affairs, and one of the NHS Unions chief negotiators, Jon Skewes, said: “At least the limbo our hardworking members were left in by our shambolic government has ended. We are disappointed that maternity staff in England will not receive a headline increase of 4% like their colleagues in Scotland.
“Through our evidence to the Pay Review Body, we managed to secure more than the 1% proposed by the government, but again this is not backdated far enough or on par with the pay award in Scotland.”
According to the government, the NHS in England is already experiencing a staff shorting of over 2,000 midwives, putting a strain on the safety in maternity services.
Mr Skewes added: “The RCM will now review this report in detail and the RCM Board will meet to determine our position and next steps for our Deliver a Decent Deal campaign.
“We will also be talking with our members. Most importantly this pay award now needs to be paid to our members and all NHS staff as quickly as possible.
“They have waited long enough and any more delays will further erode morale and impact on recruitment and retention. We will also be seeking reassurances from the government that any pay increase will be funded centrally, and that trusts will not be expected to use other budgets to pay for it.”
Minister for Care, Helen Whately, said: “I am determined to make the NHS the best place to work for all our staff and we continue to invest in recruitment and retention with over 45,300 more staff in the NHS now compared to a year ago, including nearly 9,000 more nurses and over 4,000 more doctors.
“Our NHS staff have worked incredibly hard to fight the pandemic for over eighteen months and I’m glad to confirm we are accepting the pay review bodies’ recommendations in full this year, so staff in their remit will receive a 3% pay rise.”
The reports will be presented before Parliament this morning.
Health spending and public sector pay will be up to each respective country to determine how they respond to the Pay Review Bodies and what pay increase to provide for staff.
