Welsh NHS to become a ‘living wage’ employer, increases will come into effect from September.

The NHS in Wales will become a living wage employer, Health Minister Mark Drakeford announced today, Wednesday 9th July.

All NHS staff in Wales will be paid at least the living wage of £7.65 an hour – more than the minimum wage rate of £6.31 an hour.

Around 2,400 of the lowest paid employees in the NHS in Wales will receive an increase in their basic salary of up to £470 in some cases.

The Living Wage Commission has called for all public sector workers to be paid a living wage of at least £7.65 per hour.

The living wage announcement is part of the wider pay deal for NHS staff which also includes:

A one-off payment of £160 for all NHS staff under Agenda for Change contracts (those staff other than doctors and dentists), excluding very senior managers, plus incremental pay progression for eligible staff when it is due;

• No pay uplift for very senior managers for 2014-15;
• A non-consolidated 1% pay award for consultants at the top of their commitment award scale; those not at the top of their scale will get their incremental pay rise when it is due;
• A non-consolidated 1% pay award for speciality and associate specialist doctors, dentists and doctors-in-training who are at the top of their pay scales. Those not at the top  of their scales will get their incremental pay rise when it is due.

Health Minister Mark Drakeford said:

“I have been clear that my priority is to maintain jobs in NHS Wales but with pay accounting for more than 60% of the NHS budget, in an age of austerity we have no choice but to consider some form of pay restraint to maintain those jobs and services.

“Following the recommendations from the pay review bodies earlier this year, we have been keen to work with representatives from professional bodies and trade unions about how an equivalent sum to that being made available in England can be distributed to NHS staff in Wales. 

The change will come into force from September.