Is NHS Staff getting a [pay rise in 2024] ?

The big news to NHS staff in England

The NHS staff in England are to receive a £1,400 pay increase for 2022-23. The recent NHS pay rise has aroused mixed feelings of anxiousness and happiness. There are more questions about who will get it, when will it be paid, and how much will doctors and nurses get. How much will the pay increase be for NHS workers across the UK, and who will receive it? This blog shares insight about the same.

The pay raise – how much will it be and when will it be paid?

The UK government has agreed to the NHS pay increase in England and intends to fund it from existing budgets. An independent pay review body has recommended that healthcare workers be paid more. That equates to a 9 percent pay increase for the lowest earners, but a 4 percent pay increase for the middle earners. On Friday, July 22, the Welsh Government accepted these recommendations.

Eluned Morgan, Minister of Health, stated that the government will implement this recommendation in addition to the previously announced Real Living Wage supplement, which went into effect in April.

It is also suggested that staff in Northern Ireland be given a pay increase in accordance with the recommendations of the independent pay review body.

Northern Ireland’s Health Minister, Robin Swann, stated that he wanted to accept the recommendations, but that the pay settlement could not be implemented immediately because the executive budget for the fiscal year in Northern Ireland has yet to be agreed upon.

Here is more clarity as per the Department for Health and Social Care.

• NHS employees will receive at least a 4.5 percent pay increase, with the lowest earners receiving up to a 9.3 percent raise retroactive to April. The eligible dentists and doctors will also see a 4.5 percent raise in pay.
• More than a million nurses, paramedics, midwives, porters, and cleaners will receive at least a £1,400 pay increase, with the average basic pay for nurses rising from around £35,600 to £37,000, and newly qualified nurses receiving a 5.5 percent raise to £27,055.
• NHS workers in Scotland have been offered a 5% pay increase, which they are now considering.
• More than 160,000 employees, including nurses, paramedics, allied health professionals, and healthcare support staff, would benefit from the agreement.
• Front-line workers would receive pay increases ranging from £1,000 to £2,400, depending on their roles and experience.
• If accepted, the offer, which is being considered by staff, will be retroactive to April 1, 2022.

The deciding authority of NHS workers’ payment

Following the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB) report, which was published on Tuesday, July 19, Ministers at the Department of Health and Social Care and the Treasury decide on any NHS pay rise for Agenda for Change (AfC) staff in England. Because NHS pay is considered a devolved issue, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland can either match an English decision or implement their own unique solution. Wales and Northern Ireland are using the Pay Review Body process to help them make pay award decisions in 2022/23.

The say of the labor organizations on the pay rise

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has stated that the Government’s announcement of a 4% pay increase for midwives and maternity support workers is “unacceptable and will not suffice.”

Responding to the Government’s announcement of this year’s NHS pay award, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) General Secretary and Chief Executive, Pat Cullen, said that this is a grave misstep by ministers and that the government is misjudging the mood of nursing staff and the public by this. There are tens of thousands of unfilled nursing positions, and today’s ministers have moved the NHS even further away from providing safe patient care. Despite rising living costs, they have imposed another real-terms pay cut on nursing staff.

The last time the NHS employees received a pay raise

NHS employees last received a pay raise in 2021, when they received at least a 3% raise.

It was distributed to nurses, paramedics, consultants, dentists, and salaried general practitioners. Workers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland received a 3% pay increase.

This meant an extra £1,000 per year for the average nurse, while many porters and cleaners received around £540. The 3% pay increase came after the government reversed its previous pledge to give NHS workers a 1% pay increase. Industry leaders referred to this as a “slap in the face” at the time. NHS employees in Scotland were given a 4% pay increase on average.

NHS nurses’ pay rise

Here’s how the pay of nurses will rise by the band:

Band 5: £25,655 – £27,055

Band 5 (two years of experience) – £27,780 to £29,180 Band 5 (four years of experience) – £31,534 to £32,934

Band six (two years experience) – £34,172 to £35,572 Band six (two years experience) – £34,172 to £35,572

£39,027 to £40,427 (five years of experience)

Band 7: £40,057 to £41,4157

Band 7 (two years of experience) – £42,121 – £43,521

Band 7 (five years of experience) – £45,839 – £47,239

Here’s how lower-wage workers like cleaners and healthcare assistants will be affected:

Second band – £18,870 to £20,270

Band 2 (two years of experience): £19,918 to £21,318

Band 3: £20,330 to £21,730

Band 3 (two years of experience): £21,777 to £23,177

Band 4 – from £22,549 to £23,949

£24,882 to £26,282 (for two years of experience)

Concluding thoughts on the NHS pay increase

What do you think of the pay increase announcement for NHS nurses? Will it make a significant difference in your financial situation? We’d also like to hear your opinions from your comments.

Note: The gov.uk press release served as our source. We will update our information as soon as there is an official update. Some of our readers are frustrated by that source’s lack of clarity. We’ve heard of various percentage increases there. We will post the exact details for each band and years of experience once we have them. Please be aware that we will not update our various articles, including our Nursing Salary Guide and NHS Pay Calculator, until the precise increases per band and pay scale is confirmed.