WIREDGOV

Trades unions have accepted a two-year made-in-Wales pay deal, which demonstrates the Welsh Government’s ongoing commitment to NHS staff in the face of cuts to its budget, Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford said recently.

In July, details of the 2014-15 pay award for NHS staff were published. In the months since, discussions have been ongoing with trade union representatives about the 2015-16 pay award for Agenda for Change staff in the NHS – this is the vast majority of NHS staff, with the exception of doctors, dentists and some very senior managers.

After considering the proposals put forward by trades union representatives and employers, the Health Minister made an offer to the unions, which was consulted on. This offer has recently been accepted.

It includes:

• The NHS will tackle the issue of low pay by implementing the living wage for directly-employed staff from January 1, 2015;
• In 2014-15, a non-consolidated, non-pensionable, lump sum payment of £187 (full time equivalent) will be payable to all Agenda for Change staff in post as at December 1, 2014. This will be paid in January 2015. In addition to this, employed staff will continue to receive incremental progression;
• An anomaly between pay points 15 and 16 will be rectified, which will ensure incremental progression will provide a minimum uplift of 1%;
• In 2015-16, a 1% consolidated uplift will be applied to all staff on Agenda for Change pay scales from April 1, 2015;
• An NHS workforce commission will be established to consider a broad range of workforce issues, including the Agenda for Change pay arrangements and the NHS workforce of the future. It will work within the parameters set out in the Nuffield Trust report ‘A Decade of Austerity in Wales?’ which looked at the future funding prospects of the NHS in Wales. The idea of an independent commission has been discussed with trade unions and welcomed in principle.

Professor Drakeford said:

“This two-year, made-in-Wales pay deal demonstrates our ongoing commitment to staff working in the NHS in these challenging financial times. Our overriding priority has been – and continues to be – to maintain jobs at the frontline of NHS Wales against a backdrop of severe cuts to our budget.

“This is an excellent example of working collaboratively and co-production and I am pleased that in Wales we have been able to avoid significant strike action by agreeing a mutual position – this is a credit to all parties.”