NHS pay awards show commitment to living wage

28 Mar 2017 10:34 AM

NHS staff in Wales will receive a 1% pay award with the lowest earners receiving an uplift to the Living Wage, the Health Secretary Vaughan Gething announced today.

More than 7,000 of the lowest paid employees will see an uplift to £8.45 an hour, in line with the Living Wage Foundation’s Living Wage.

In addition to the Living Wage uprating, other salary increases from 1 April for 2017-18 are:

• A 1% consolidated pay increase for all Agenda for Change staff in NHS Wales;
• A 1% increase for salaried doctors and dentists;
• A 1% increase will be applied to the value of Clinical Excellence Awards;
• A 1% increase will be applied to the value of Commitment Awards;
• A 1% increase to the value of the GP trainers’ grant;
• A 1% increase for independent contractor General Medical Practitioners and General Dental Practitioners;
• A 1% salary increase for NHS Senior Executives, their first pay award since 2009.

Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said:

“I remain committed to tackling the issue of low pay in Wales and will ensure the lowest earners in NHS Wales are paid a fair salary, as recommended by the Living Wage Foundation.

“I am therefore implementing the uplift to the Living Wage – to £8.45 an hour – for all directly employed NHS staff from 1 April 2017.

“I am pleased that I am able to award pay increases in line with the independent pay review bodies’ pay recommendations and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to staff working in the NHS in Wales. I am also committed to working in Social Partnership with employers and those representing NHS staff to consider the way forward on the other issues the pay review bodies raised.”

Health Secretary Vaughan Gething has accepted recommendations on pay by both the NHS Pay Review Body and the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration.