Swansea East Mike Hedges AM welcomes NHS pay deal

Swansea East Mike Hedges AM welcomes NHS pay deal

Local Assembly Member Mike Hedges AM has welcomed the Welsh Labour Government’s announcement of a new NHS pay deal.

The deal covers nurses and other NHS staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions in Wales and is stretches over three years.

Trade unions have unanimously agreed to the deal, offered by the Welsh Government, which includes a range of pay and non-pay proposals that will benefit staff and patients. It matches, and in some areas goes beyond the pay deal for England.

As part of the deal pay bands will be restructured to include higher starting pay, removal of overlapping pay points and shorter pay scales.

It guarantees fair basic pay awards for the next three years to staff who are at the top of their bands – in cumulative 6.5% in three years.

Mike Hedges AM said

“Staff in the Welsh NHS work incredibly hard delivering world class care, often under immense pressure.”

“It is right that this dedication is recognised through a pay deal that gives parity with their counterparts in England, and goes beyond it in some areas.”

“After 8 years of austerity, imposed by the UK Government, the Welsh Labour Government are right to find the extra funds needed to fund this pay award.”

The pay offer includes:
• Going beyond our commitment to the Living Wage Foundation recommendations, with a new rate of £17,460 introduced from 1 April 2018 as the minimum basic pay rate in the NHS and the lowest starting NHS salary increases to £18,005 in 20/21.

• Investing in higher starting salaries for staff in every pay band by reforming the pay system to remove overlapping pay points.

• Guaranteeing fair basic pay awards for the next three years to the staff who are at the top of pay bands;

• Guaranteeing fair basic pay awards and faster progression pay for the next three years to those staff who are not yet on the top of their pay band.