The government has offered healthcare workers, including nurses, paramedics, physical therapists, porters and cleaners, a lump sum payment of 6 percent of their wages for this fiscal year.
Under the agreement, Agenda for Change employees in England – about 1 million people – will receive a non-consolidated wage of 2 per cent of individual wages for 2022-23 and a Covid Bonus payment of up to 4 per cent. The money comes on top of at least a 4 percent pay rise workers received last year for 2022-23.
How much does a raise cost?
Lump sum for 2022-23 adds value to the NHS pay scale. This costs £1,655 for staff at the bottom of the second group (eg porters, cleaners and caregivers); GBP 2,009 for senior staff in the fifth group (nurses, midwives, physiotherapists); £2,162 at the top of the sixth group (Paramedics, Visitors, Senior Occupational Therapists); and £3,789 for the staff at the helm of the ninth group.
It does not affect the employee’s current annual salary, but is subject to deductions such as taxes, National Insurance (NI), and student loan contributions. Compensation is based on base salary and does not include overtime or irregular work hours. Part-time NHS staff are paid pro rata.
There will also be a permanent 5 percent pay increase across all pay items for 2023-24. The ministers said they could ensure that the wage offer would not harm frontline services.
How is it financed?
The proposal, backed by the Royal College of Nursing, GMB and Unison, raised hope that the longstanding dispute could be brought to an end. However, the important question remains how the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health will fund the new proposal. There is an ongoing debate about whether NHS trusts in England should take at least some of the extra money from existing budgets.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisted frontline services would remain “absolutely unaffected” by the final pay deal, while Health Minister Steve Barclay said no funding from the deal would come from patients.
What is happening now?
Union members will now vote to accept the deal, and workers are expected to review the details in the coming days and weeks. The tender has already canceled the planned strikes.
The government has also pledged to implement a number of other changes besides wages. An NHS long-term workforce plan has been released that the health secretary says will “ensure the NHS can recruit and retain the staff it needs going forward” and is looking into safe staffing rules.
The government will consider creating a new wage base, created exclusively for all caregivers, based on their skills and experience, with the intention of coming into effect in 2024-25. He also pledged to address nursing career development, workplace violence and aggression and streamline the NHS process for payroll authorities.
Health workers unions will ask their members to vote to accept or not accept the proposed deal. You can download a copy of the full offer. Nearly all of the 14 unions involved in the negotiations said they would recommend the proposal to their members. Unite, which represents fewer NHS members than other unions, is the only one saying it can’t recommend a deal, but the decision is up to the members.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.