Most Welsh NHS staff will now get £500 bonus in next month’s pay

THE majority of staff working for the Welsh NHS will be given their £500 bonus in next month’s pay, it has been confirmed.

On Thursday a spokeswoman for the Welsh Government said there was “no fixed date” for the one-off payment and that it will be made “as soon as possible over the coming months”.

But yesterday the position was clarified, stating that the bulk of NHS staff will receive the cash boost in May’s pay as they are paid under one system.

However, for social care workers – who are paid by separate employers under differing payroll systems – there remains no fixed date for their payment.

On Wednesday, March 17, Health Minister Vaughan Gething announced that all health and care workers will be given the bonus to recognise their “extraordinary contribution” during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pay boost is equivalent to £735 per person to cover the basic rate of tax and national insurance contributions incurred. After deductions most people will receive £500.

It is estimated the payment will benefit 221,945 people in Wales including 103,600 social care staff, 90,000 NHS Wales staff, 2,345 deployed students and 26,000 primary care staff including workers in pharmacy, general practice, dental and optometry.

While the payment has been welcomed by health and care unions, they claim it cannot replace a substantive pay rise for NHS Wales staff which is long overdue.

The UK Government’s recommendation of a 1% increase for employees in England was met with criticism earlier this month.

Helen Whyley, director of the Royal College of Nursing in Wales, is calling for a 12.5% pay rise for nurses to reflect the growing complexity of their skills and workload.

She said: “The Welsh Government announced on March 17 that NHS and social care staff will receive a one-off bonus for their work during the pandemic.

“This is not the significant and substantive pay rise we have been calling for.

“We need the Welsh Government to give a firm commitment to fair pay for nursing, addressing over 1,600 vacancies in Wales, encouraging nurses to stay in the profession, and ensuring excellent patient care.”

She added: “Nurses deserve to be appropriately rewarded for their skills and expertise with pay that reflects the importance of their complex work.

“The next Welsh Government must get serious about valuing and supporting the profession in the short and long term.”