Listen
NHS pay package endorsed
03/08/2007
Scottish NHS staff in the lowest pay bands are to benefit from an improved pay package endorsed by Health and Wellbeing Secretary Nicola Sturgeon.
The Scottish government had already agreed to implement a 2.5 per cent unstaged pay rise while participating in UK-level discussions aimed at addressing a number of issues raised by health trades unions.
The new improved pay package endorsed by Nicola Sturgeon represents extra investment of £1.1 million in NHS staff pay in Scotland, in addition to the £18.7 million already committed by not staging the pay awards.
Ms Sturgeon said:
"Following discussions between the UK Health Departments, NHS employers, and the health trades unions, I have agreed to endorse an improved pay package for NHSScotland staff.
"The proposals we have put to unions contain additional measures to assist the lowest paid NHS staff. This demonstrates the Scottish government's commitment to rewarding all staff fairly while paying particular attention to the needs of those at the lower end of the NHS pay spectrum.
"We implemented the 2.5 per cent pay rise in Scotland while continuing to participate in UK level discussions aimed at addressing a number of concerns raised by the health trades unions.
"As a result, I believe the new package represents a fair deal for hard working staff throughout the NHS in Scotland."
Health Departments in the devolved administrations in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales had previously agreed to pay staff the full 2.5 per cent pay award recommended by the health pay review bodies for 2007/08.
The new package also proposes talks to consider a multi-year pay deal for the future.
The new pay offer is different in different countries across the UK, reflecting the differential handling of the four Health Departments of the outcome of the health Pay Review process.
In Scotland pay for staff on Agenda for Change pay points 1-7 will increase by 2.5 per cent from April.
In November their pay will further increase by the difference between 2.5 per cent and £400.
Staff on AfC pay points 8-18 will get 2.5 per cent from April plus an additional £38 from November.
In England the pay offer is still staged, with staff receiving 1.5 per cent from April and 2.5 per cent plus additional monies for low paid staff from November. There are additional provisions in the English offer on training and development that do not apply in Scotland or the other devolved administrations, who have decided pay 2.5 per cent in full from April.