NHS :: Sensible and fair pay awards will benefit staff, the NHS and the economy

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt announced that the UK Government is accepting the 2007 pay review body recommendations for NHS staff and GPs. In line with the rest of the public sector, the implementation of awards over 1.5 per cent will be staged, with 1.5 per cent paid from 1 April and the remainder being paid from 1 November.

The main recommendations are:

2.5 per cent for nurses and other healthcare professionals*;

a flat rate of ?1000 pa for hospital doctors and ?650 pa for hospital doctors and dentists in training – giving an average of 2 per cent across all groups**;

2 per cent for general dental practitioners***; and,

0 per cent for general medical practitioners.

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said:

“These are sensible increases, fair for staff, consistent with the Government’s inflation target and affordable for the NHS.

“We are therefore accepting the recommendations of the NHS pay review bodies, but have decided to stage the increase in line with the consistent approach across Government to the workforce covered by the pay review bodies.

“We appreciate that nurses will be disappointed by the staging of their award. However, overall earnings growth in the NHS will be around 4.5 per cent in 2007/08 as a result of this pay award, the Government’s pay reforms and opportunities for career progression. For nurses in particular, I expect the average earnings of nurses to rise by 4.9 per cent next year, above the national average.

“It is also expected that inflation across the year will be much lower than it is now.

“We will be working with the NHS, employers and unions to implement these pay increases while continuing to improve services and job security.”


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