NHS pay set to rise as 'ministers and unions agree end to wage cap'
2 min read
The Government-imposed cap on NHS wages is reportedly set to end as ministers and trade unions prepare to sign off a fresh pay agreement later today.
The end of the cap, which hit around one million NHS staff when brought in by the coalition government in 2010, is expected to come with a 6.5% pay increase over three years.
The deal between NHS employers, and unions including Unison and the Royal College of Nursing is set to benefit nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants and paramedics.
It would see a 3% boost in the first year, followed by a 2% increase and then 1%, in a deal said to be worth more than £4bn.
The BBC say the move should mean the lowest paid will get the biggest pay boosts, while those on higher salaries will receive more modest increases.
The 14 unions involved are expected to recommend the deal to their members at a meeting of the NHS staff council.
Ministers are also reported to have rowed back on plans to only give workers the increase under the condition they give up a day’s leave.
An NHS source told the Guardian the change of heart came after Jeremy Hunt argued that “staff had been working so hard over winter it would be counterproductive”.
The move to end the cap comes after the Health Secretary told MPs in October he would have “leeway to have more flexible negotiations” on lifting the cap above the “unsustainable” level.
That came following pressure amid pay increases for police and prison officers, which are set to be rolled out next month.
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