Ensure all NHS bank staff in England receive non-consolidated payments
- Parliament:
- 2019–24
- Signatures:
- 29,573
- Responded:
- 21 Jun 2023
- Department:
- Department of Health and Social Care
The petition
We want the Government to ensure that all NHS bank staff in England, who have worked tirelessly for the NHS under Agenda for Change but are not directly employed by NHS trusts, receive non-consolidated payments as part of the NHS pay deal.
Because it is unfair that some NHS staff will receive one-off payments and others won't when they do exactly the same jobs and worked through Covid, covering all areas of healthcare with dedication and flexibility. Scotland and Wales bank staff are set to receive these payments. We believe it is unacceptable that many of their English counterparts are not.
The government's response
Bank staff are employed on locally managed contracts, the terms of which differ by individual trust. They are not employed on the national contract (commonly referred to as Agenda for Change).
On 2 May 2023 the NHS Staff Council accepted a new pay deal for NHS staff employed on the Agenda for Change contract by eligible employers. This included:
• a non-consolidated award of 2% of an individual’s salary for 2022-23; and
• a one-off NHS ‘Backlog Bonus’ which recognises the sustained pressure facing the NHS following the pandemic and the extraordinary effort staff have been making to hit backlog recovery targets and meet the Prime Minister’s promise to cut waiting lists. The backlog bonus is worth at least £1,250 per person but will be determined based on how much experience staff have and based on an individual’s pay band.
Many bank staff will also be directly employed on the Agenda for Change contract (for example, permanent or fixed term contracts) by an NHS trust. Staff who undertake additional shifts through an NHS bank will already be eligible for the non-consolidated payments as part of their direct employment on Agenda for Change terms.
Staff who work exclusively on an NHS bank are not employed under Agenda for Change contracts. Instead, they are employed on locally managed contracts developed by the employing organisation where the contract terms vary from organisation to organisation. In these circumstances it will be for individual employers to determine the pay and conditions for those members of staff.
Eligibility criteria is important to set clear parameters for funding and to aid local conversations. As agreed by all parties during negotiations, both non-consolidated payments apply to staff directly employed as of 31 March 2023 by NHS organisations (e.g., staff on permanent and fixed term contracts) as set out in Annex 1 of the NHS terms and conditions of service handbook: https://www.nhsemployers.org/publications/tchandbook#annex-1-nhs-employers (Agenda for Change terms).
More information, including on eligibility, can be found at: https://www.nhsemployers.org/payofferFAQs.
Department of Health and Social Care