Eluned Morgan MS, Minister for Health and Social Services
I am pleased to announce I have agreed to fund and implement a temporary uplift for the lowest paid staff in NHS Wales, who are employed on Agenda for Change terms and conditions of service.
My decision will bring their pay in line with the Living Wage Foundation’s independent recommended rate of £9.90 an hour, from 1 April 2022. This ensures NHS Wales will continue to be a real Living Wage employer.
This intervention is being made ahead of the recommendations of the NHS Pay Review Body and our response to those recommendations. We will revisit these pay points when the full Agenda for Change pay award is known. When making the pay award for 2022-23, pay will be increased by any outstanding amount not already received through the temporary uplift and this additional amount will be backdated to 1 April 2022.
This decision will ensure all NHS Wales employers remain Living Wage employers and further demonstrates the Welsh Government’s commitment to the wider tackling poverty agenda. Low pay is a significant issue for many families in Wales and the challenges of in-work poverty unfortunately remain as we face the current cost-of-living crisis.
The Welsh Government will continue to work in partnership with our NHS union and employer colleagues to implement a fair and affordable pay rise for NHS staff in Wales through the independent pay review body process for 2022-23.