NHS one per cent pay rise ‘must apply to all staff’, NHS Employers say

NHS Employers has called on the government to ensure NHS nurses, midwives and other healthcare workers all receive a one per cent pay rise in 2017-18, instead of the increase only being targeted to help staffing problems.

The government announced the one per cent pay rise cap in last summer’s budget but later added that there was no guarantee that every employee would receive the increase.

However, NHS Employers has maintained that the one per cent salary increase should be given to all staff on the NHS Agenda for Change payscale due to the negative impact it would have on workforce morale if it were applied to some staff and not others.

It also added that the small scale of the rise would mean the the effort required to work out different salary options in local areas would be disproportionate to any benefits gained.

NHS England stated: “There is no evidence available at national level to justify or support differential increases in 2017-18. The average one per cent envelope is not enough to make any significant targeting worthwhile. To do so would be seen as inequitable and potentially damaging to staff morale and employment relations.”

The comments come as part of the body’s submission to the independent NHS Pay Review which assesses NHS staff on an annual basis before making recommendations to government.