NHS Wales Pay Consultation 2023

This campaign has ended
health workers

NHS pay for 2023/24 has been agreed. The majority of NHS workers and their unions – including UNISON – voted to accept the offer.

 

What is the deal?

2022/23

  • A further additional* one-off ‘NHS recovery payment,’ with an average value of 3%.
    The NHS Recovery payment will be a one off non-consolidated prorated payment for both substantive staff and bank workers on the following payment;
    – Band 1 to 4 £900
    – Band 5 to 8a £1,005
    – Band 8b to 8c £1,050
    – Band 8d £1,100
    – Band 9 £1,190

*This payment is on top of the £1,400 increase in September 2022 and the 3% (1.5% consolidated and 1.5% non-consolidated) UNISON Cymru/Wales members voted to accept in February 2023.

2023/24

  • Agenda for Change Band 1 & entry point of Band 2 – 7.8% ensuring lowest paid are paid significantly above the Real Living Wage
  • All other Agenda for Change bands – 5% backdated to April 2023.

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What the offer means for you

View the full offer

View Pay Scales

Read full offer

Health Ministers statement

What’s next?

Now we have confirmation the pay offer UNISON members voted to accept will be paid, this marks the end of our dispute on pay.

But our work does not stop there.

There are important non-pay elements in the accepted offer, and we will begin discussions in social partnership to move to implementation without delay.

We have demonstrated how strong and powerful NHS staff are when we work together. Campaigning works. Direct negotiation works. It has now been proven beyond doubt.

Now, as a collective, we must build on our momentum. After a decade of lost pay, we have much to do.

We need you and your colleagues to help expand our campaign on re-banding, to make sure that all NHS staff are on the right band, getting the right pay for the work they do. We also need you to fight the campaign for proper overtime pay, and end the culture of discretionary, unpaid overtime in the NHS.

Finally, now that we have proven that direct negotiation with the government works, we want a new way for setting NHS pay in the future. The last decade of the Pay Review Body has resulted in ever increasing delay to pay rises. This is both unnecessary and – in a cost-of-living-crisis – unacceptable.

We will continue the push to continue this approach for future settlements.

We have proven that we are strongest when everyone in the NHS comes together as ‘One Team.’

The fight for the future of the NHS and its workforce is not over. This is only the beginning.

Click FAQ’s below for more info

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FAQs

FAQs

NHS Cymru/Wales pay 2023

  • Who is eligible for the recovery payment?

    Only staff still employed by the NHS after 1 April 2022 will be eligible. If you have left the NHS between 1 April 2022 and the date of payment, you will receive a pro-rata amount of the payment for how much of the 22-23 pay year you worked.

  • Is the recovery payment taxable, pensionable or pro-rated?

    The non-consolidated payments will not be pensionable and will therefore not count towards pension tiers and your employee pension contributions will not be deducted from the payments if you are a member of the NHS pension scheme.

    The two parts of the non-consolidated payments will be paid as one lump sum payment and will be subject to tax and national insurance (NI) deductions, as required by normal HMRC rules.

    The payment is also pro-rated.

  • What about backpay?

    If the offer is accepted, pay for 2023-24 (7.8% for Band1 and Band 2 entry point, 5% all other pay points) will be  backdated to 1 April 2023. 

  • Does the NHS Recovery payment apply to bank staff?

    Yes, the recovery payment is being offered to both substantive staff and bank staff.

  • Is there a separate pay spine for nurses?

    This offer is the same for members of all unions. It does not include a separate pay spine for nurses. The NHS is one team, and this offer is for all staff on the pay scales covered by NHS pay, terms and conditions. UNISON strongly opposes proposals on divisive nurse-only pay awards and pay spines. This has NOT been a part of our discussions with Welsh government.