Scotland makes ‘historic’ pay offer

Actual increases depend on agenda for change bands, with most staff up to band 8a receiving a 6.5% increase while staff at the very lowest bandings would receive 7.1%. The percentage increase above band 8a tapers from 5.9% (8b) to 3.3% (top of band 9). In addition, staff would receive a one-off non-consolidated band-related payment ranging from £387 (band 1) to £939 (band 9).

The government claimed the deal represented the largest pay package in the history of the NHS and came with a commitment to deliver a progressive package of terms and conditions.

In total, Unison said the offer would mean a pay increase of more than 8% in 2023/24 for most NHS workers. This comes on top of the pay offer in the current year, which would increase pay by between 2.49% and 11.32%, with an average increase of 7.5%. The 2022/23 pay offer has been accepted by unions Unison and Unite. The Royal College of Nursing, which rejected the 2022/23 offer, subsequently suspended strike action to allow for further talks and is now considering the new pay package.

Under the new deal, over the two-years of 2022/23 and 2023/24, agenda for change staff would receive pay rises of between 5.4% and 19.26% – representing cash uplifts of between £3,753 and £6,506 over the two-year period.

Health secretary Humza Yousaf (pictured) said the pay deals involved investment of £1bn over the two years and had required difficult decisions to find the money within the health budget. ‘This ensures that Scotland’s NHS agenda for change staff are, by far and away, the best paid anywhere in the UK,’ he added. ‘In fact, for NHS England to catch-up with Scotland the UK government would need to offer increases in 2023/24 of over 14% at the top of band 5, over 13% at the top of band 6, and over 12% at the top of band 7.’

Unison welcomed the early offer for next year after the government took so long to settle the pay claim for 2022/23. The union’s head of health in Scotland, Matt McLaughlin described the proposed increase as a ‘credible pay offer’ that needs ‘serious consideration’. The union’s health committee will meet on Monday 20 February to discuss the offer and will open a digital consultative ballot on Wednesday.

The offer stands in contrast to the current situation in England, where unions are continuing strike action having rejected a pay deal worth just 4.75% on average and the government has refused to reopen negotiations on the settlement. Earlier this month, the Welsh government increased its offer to agenda for change staff, adding a 3% increase to the existing £1,400 increase – with half of the additional increase consolidated.

In a letter to prime minister Rishi Sunak, the NHS Confederation said the government must choose between settling the escalating dispute in England or ‘wave goodbye’ to the pledge on elective recovery. ‘We share the prime minister’s ambition to reduce waiting lists,’ said confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor. ‘But the government’s apparent refusal to discuss or compromise on pay is jeopardising his public commitment to reduce waiting times.’