NHS Scotland nurses and healthcare staff offered 5.5% pay increase

NHS nurses and healthcare workers throughout Scotland have been supplied a 5.5% pay rise after what unions described as “months of strain” to get a brand new deal.

Almost 170,000 workers – together with midwives, paramedics, allied well being professionals and porters – would get the pay improve for 2024-25, backdated to April.

The proposed deal is predicted to price £448m and is in step with a suggestion made to NHS staff in England.

The Scottish authorities mentioned the supply, if accepted by unions, would guarantee they’ve the perfect NHS pay bundle within the UK.

Doctors will not be included within the deal becuase they negotiate their pay individually.

Colin Poolman, director of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Scotland, mentioned workers have been “rightly annoyed” that the Scottish authorities had “saved them ready whereas the price of dwelling has continued to extend”.

The RCN is now among the many unions representing Agenda for Change workers which might be contemplating the pay supply.

However, Mr Poolman mentioned it had “taken months of strain from the RCN and different well being commerce unions” for the Scottish authorities to make a pay supply.

He added: “Our pay declare, submitted in February, referred to as for a suggestion that displays will increase in dwelling prices and begins to deal with the historic erosion of pay.

“Our members will resolve if as we speak’s announcement is sufficient. That course of begins with RCN Scotland board members trying on the supply intimately.”

The RCN Scotland director confused: “Nursing workers are the ever-present, security vital workforce throughout the entire of well being and care.

“Our wages don’t replicate this and nonetheless will not after as we speak. Fair pay is significant to recruiting and retaining nursing workers, to filling the 1000’s of vacant nurse jobs and giving individuals the care they deserve.”

Unison mentioned it might additionally think about the supply, though Matt McLaughlin, who leads for the union on NHS pay, mentioned: “It’s a disgrace it is taken this lengthy for NHS workers in Scotland to obtain a pay supply.

“Finally, staff could have the chance to resolve whether or not to simply accept or reject the proposed increase, which is in step with wage lifts in lots of different components of the UK.”

He added: “NHS workers have been due a pay rise 5 months in the past, and making them wait for thus lengthy is deeply unfair.

“This delay can’t be repeated on the subsequent pay spherical. The Scottish authorities should recognise that dithering on pay immediately impacts workers morale.”

Scottish authorities ministers have beforehand mentioned they’re proud that Scotland is the one nation within the UK to have averted NHS strike motion

Despite avoiding the disruption of strikes, the newest knowledge confirmed NHS ready lists in Scotland had reached a report measurement on the finish of March, with 690,000 waits for deliberate outpatient or inpatient care.

The Scottish authorities wished to construct 10 new National Treatment Centres to sort out the NHS backlog by delivering an additional 40,000 procedures a 12 months, however spending has been paused with solely three open, and two extra scheduled to open this 12 months.

The Nuffield Trust discovered earlier this 12 months that the variety of individuals going personal for hospital remedy had risen 80% since 2019.

Health Secretary Neil Gray mentioned he hoped the unions would settle for the supply.

“Following weeks of constructive engagement with commerce union representatives, I’m happy to have agreed a suggestion, in recognition of the Pay Review Body suggestions, that may guarantee Scotland’s nurses and NHS workers have the perfect pay bundle within the UK,” he mentioned.

“I wish to specific my thanks once more to Scotland’s hardworking healthcare workers for his or her dedication and persistence – they’re the very spine of the NHS and we’re dedicated to supporting them, significantly throughout a value of dwelling disaster.”

He added: “I’m grateful for the continued efforts across the desk and that the commerce unions will now put this to their members.”