Pay rise unlikely to make workforce feel ‘valued’

A 1 per cent pay rise for NHS staff in Wales is unlikely to make the workforce feel 'valued', BMA Cymru Wales has said.

The Welsh Government has accepted the recommendations on pay from the NHS pay review body and the review body on doctors’ and dentists’ remuneration.

It means that NHS Wales employees will receive a 1 per cent rise, while 7,000 staff currently on the Living Wage will also see their pay increase to the new Living Wage hourly rate of £8.25 per hour.

The deal will also mean an overall increase for GPs in Wales of 2.2 per cent in pay and expenses.

Health minister Mark Drakeford said: 'Our commitment to the NHS is unwavering and our staff are at the heart of the service.

'We will continue to work closely with them, with trades unions and professional bodies, to protect and invest in these vital services, despite deep cuts to our overall budget from the UK Government.'

Increasing workload

BMA Cymru Wales GPs committee chair Charlotte Jones (pictured) said: 'We welcome Welsh Government’s recognition that GP expenses have to be met, given the challenges facing Welsh practices. We hope this approach will continue.

'The proposals are largely in line with those in England, excluding England-specific fees and the vaccinations and immunisations uplift.

'The vaccination and immunisation fee negotiation remains outstanding in Wales, despite being part of the 2015-17 agreement, and this must be resolved swiftly to meet an expectation from the profession that this will be concluded by 1 April.

'While we welcome the proactive approach to tackling the issue of low pay in Wales, the living wage changes will begin to affect us from 2017 without any current commitment to additional support, and we will be negotiating this expense as well as any additional changes to employers’ superannuation policy.

'The 1 per cent increase follows years of real-terms cuts and, coupled with the ever-increasing workload and strain on the profession, is unlikely to make the workforce feel valued.'