The Department of Health and Social Care has said the 6.5% wage increase will be for all staff covered by the Agenda for Change – the grading and pay system for health staff - including those who deliver public health services commissioned by local authorities.
Staff employed to deliver public health services commissioned by local authorities such as school nurses, health visitors and sexual health workers are covered by the pay scale, which places staff in nine pay bands.
The DHSC confirmed to Public Finance yesterday that the public health funds will not be affected by the pay rise, and funding will be taken directly from the Treasury.
In March, the Treasury committed £4.2bn to supporting the pay rise, which affects 1.3 million health workers in England.
The AfC pay scale, which includes all NHS staff except doctors and dentists, was due to be reformed after unions, NHS employers and the government agreed on the proposed pay deal.
Around 1.3 million health workers are expected to benefit from a pay rise of 6.5% over three years- with some receiving more, after unions agreed the move last month. The health unions are now consulting with their members.
Initial pay rise proposals had called for NHS staff to give up one day’s holiday per year to receive the pay rise but this was scrapped in the most recent offer.
Phillippa Hentsch, head of analysis at NHS Providers, said: “We welcome the confirmation that the decision to fully fund the pay award for all Agenda for Change staff – including those commissioned by non-NHS bodies such as local authorities – is being followed through.
“It is also good that the funding for this proposed deal in 2018-19 will be allocated directly.”
This is important to ensure the money gets through to the frontline, she added.
If health unions accept the proposed deal, the new arrangements will be implemented in England by the summer and payments will be backdated to April 2018.
The deal is for NHS staff in England only, but it provides funding for devolved nations to replicate the pay framework if employers, governments and trade unions agree to it.
