NHS staff in Scotland offered nine per cent pay rise

The majority of NHS staff in Scotland have been offered a nine per cent pay rise, spread across three years, in a deal that ‘not only matches the NHS England deal, but exceeds it’.

The offer, to staff like nurses and midwives who earn under £80,000 a year, is being considered by NHS unions and would not affect doctors, dentists or senior managers.

Many staff have already been given a three per cent pay rise for the current year, which was recently announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the SNP conference, but the new offer could see 147,000 staff see a rise across the next three years. It is being orchestrated so that employees who are not at the top of their wage band could see bigger increases, depending on where they sit in the pay scale.

More than a million NHS workers in England are receiving a three-year pay deal worth 6.5% after staff voted in favour of that offer in June.

Scottish Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “Our NHS is built on the dedication and hard work of healthcare staff up and down the country. They are our health service’s beating heart, and I’m proud to be offering them this significant pay rise in recognition for the work they do caring for the people of Scotland.

“We were the first government in the UK to lift the pay cap, and today I can confirm we intend to deliver a pay rise of at least nine per cent to our hardworking NHS ‘Agenda for Change’ staff over the next three years. We’re doing all we can to recruit new talent and retain existing staff, ensuring NHS Scotland has the right skills and experience to meet future demand and rising expectations. This announcement will help make our NHS an attractive employment option for many. In this 70th anniversary year I am delighted that we have been able to offer NHS Scotland staff a pay settlement which not only matches NHS England deal - but exceeds it.”