Welsh government announces revised NHS pay offer for nursing staff in Wales
Thursday 20 April 2023
After negotiations, the Royal College of Nursing in Wales has received a revised NHS pay offer from the Welsh government.
The new offer has taken several weeks to reach. It builds on the first offer from the Welsh government that added to the Pay Review Body (PRB) award which was rejected by members. It includes a further recovery payment for 2022/23, and a consolidated rise for 2023/24.
RCN Wales will now ask its members to vote to accept or reject this latest offer in an online consultation which opens at 12 noon on Monday 24 April to 9am on Wednesday 10 May.
The offer is complicated, reflecting the weeks of in-depth negotiations required to reach this final package, and will depend on many different factors from person to person. The RCN's elected Wales board has decided to put this offer to members without a voting recommendation.
Helen Whyley, RCN Wales Director, said: “The Welsh government returned to negotiations because of the momentous pressure placed upon them by nursing staff in NHS Wales.
"Our members took the difficult decision to go on strike and their resolve and determination has led to the Welsh government showing that it was able to find the funds to improve its offer.
“The offer doesn’t come close enough to the pay award our members have been campaigning for. We have negotiated tirelessly over recent weeks to get the best possible outcome for our members and we trust that it will go some way to helping our members with the current cost of living crisis.
“However, our members have suffered pay freezes and real terms pay cuts over the last 10 years that have left their pay woefully short compared to where it should be. Our priority is to ensure that restoration of pay remains at the forefront of the agenda for the Welsh government.
“It is important that members now make their own informed choice based on their personal circumstances and - as always - what is in the best interest of their patients. Whichever way members decide to proceed, we will continue to champion their voice and deliver a pay campaign that is led by the opinions of those directly affected.”
ENDS.
Notes to Editors
Full details of the pay offer available here.
The offer consists of: (reproduced from the Welsh government’s announcement):
For 2022/23
-
An enhanced pay award in the form of an additional 3% already implemented from the previous offer made in February;
-
1.5% consolidated increase (backdated to April 2022), already implemented
-
1.5% non-consolidated payment, already implemented.
-
A further additional one-off NHS recovery payment for both substantive staff and bank workers, with an average value of 3% across bands.
For 2023/24
-
A 5% consolidated increase with effect from April 2023
- The investment in the bottom of the pay bands so that Band 1 and bottom pay point of Band 2 have an increase of 8% taking them to £22,720.
The revised offer also includes a commitment from the Welsh government to the principal of pay restoration to 2008 levels and a list of non-pay elements including career progression for nursing staff, paid time to undertake professional development and the implementation of the nurse retention plan.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interests of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape health care policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies, and voluntary organisations.
For more information, contact the RCN Wales press office at 02920 680 769 or email MediaWales@rcn.org.uk
Page last updated - 24/04/2023
