NHS Scotland staff offered 4% pay rise

In an announcement made just before the nation entered a pre-election purdah, the government said staff in Agenda for Change bands 1 to 7 would get at least a 4% rise on their 2020/21 salaries. Those who earn less than £25,000 would receive a guaranteed increase of more than £1,000 – for those on the lowest pay point a rise of 5.4%. Staff in band 8 and higher will receive a pay rise of £800 a year.

Though pay rises usually begin on 1 April, the government will backdate the settlement, if accepted, to 1 December 2020 to recognise an ‘exceptional year of significant pressure for staff’. The rise is in addition to the £500 thank you bonus paid to health and social care workers. The Scottish government also announced that hard facilities management staff working in public/private partnership and private finance initiative hospitals, working exclusively for the NHS on Agenda for Change contracts, would also receive the £500 thank you payment.

Health secretary Jeane Freeman (pictured) said discussions with the unions had been positive. ‘Over 154,000 staff would benefit from this rise, which would see the average pay of a frontline NHS nurse rise by over £1,200 a year,’ she said.

‘This deal also includes support staff such as domestic staff, porters and healthcare support workers, the backbone of our services, who would see pay rises of over £1,000 – uplifts of between 4% and 5.4%.’

The unions will now discuss the offer with their members.

The offer is sure to anger staff in England, where the government has suggested the pay review bodies recommend a 1% uplift.

Unison said the Westminster government could learn from the Scottish offer. Head of health Sara Gorton said: ‘After a long and difficult year, a decent pay rise for NHS staff should be a simple decision to make and be popular with the public.

‘The Westminster government should learn from the approach being adopted north of the border on NHS pay and be shamed into following the Scottish example.’

Earlier this week Unison told the NHS pay review body that a rise of at least £2,000 a year was essential for recruitment and retention of staff.

It said a survey of members revealed ‘a staggering level of distrust’ in the government, even before the 1% proposal became known. More than half were considering leaving the NHS in the coming year – of these, 44% were considering bringing forward retirement plans and 22% said the pandemic made them want to leave whatever changes are made.

Health staff in Northern Ireland seem set for increases of more than 1%. The Welsh government is waiting for the review body recommendations, but has committed to ‘a fair and affordable pay rise for NHS staff in Wales’. It has announced that staff on the lowest grades will receive the Living Wage Foundation’s recommended rate of £9.50 an hour from 1 April.