The Government has accepted the recommendations of the independent NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB) and the Review Body for Doctors’ and Dentists’ Renumeration (DDRB).
NHS staff including nurses, paramedics, consultants, and dentists in England will now receive a 3% pay rise backdated to April 2021. For the average nurse, this will mean an additional £1,000 a year, while many porters and cleaners will receive around £540.
The independent pay review bodies considered a range of evidence from organisations including government, the NHS and trade unions in order to reach their recommendations.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: "NHS staff are rightly receiving a pay rise this year despite the wider public sector pay pause, in recognition of their extraordinary efforts. We asked the independent pay review bodies for their recommendations and I’m pleased to accept them in full, with a 3% pay rise for all staff in scope, from doctors and nurses to paramedics and porters.
"We will back the NHS as we focus our efforts on getting through this pandemic and tackling the backlog of other health problems that has built up. I will continue to do everything I can to support all those in our health service who are working so tirelessly to care for patients."
Minister for Care Helen Whately said: "I am determined to make the NHS the best place to work for all our staff and we continue to invest in recruitment and retention with over 45,300 more staff in the NHS now compared to a year ago, including nearly 9,000 more nurses and over 4,000 more doctors.
"Our NHS staff have worked incredibly hard to fight the pandemic for over eighteen months and I’m glad to confirm we are accepting the pay review bodies’ recommendations in full this year, so staff in their remit will receive a 3% pay rise."
Commenting on the decision, Richard Murray, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund, said: “I’m pleased ministers have agreed to the proposals made by the independent Pay Review Body and chosen to recognise the contribution of NHS workers through this pay rise.
“The NHS is already struggling to keep hold of staff, at a time when services desperately need more healthcare professionals to care for rising numbers of COVID patients and the historically high number of people stuck on waiting lists.
“Pay is important, but it is not the only factor contributing to high staff turnover. Even before the pandemic, many NHS workers endured chronic excessive workload, high levels of stress, and inadequate working conditions, all of which have a detrimental impact on their health and wellbeing and on staff retention. Many of these issues are mirrored in the social care sector, which is not covered by today’s pay announcement.
“Despite these acute issues, successive governments have seen health and care workforce pressures as a problem for tomorrow. There is now an urgent need for a fully funded workforce strategy to increase recruitment, tackle staff burnout, and support health and care leaders to create compassionate and inclusive workplace cultures that staff want to work in. Without such a plan, we will continue to witness the vicious cycle that sees workforce shortages lead to overstretched staff leaving their profession prematurely.”
