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NHS pay review: No rise for Welsh NHS' lowest paid in 'botched' review

Getty Images health worker wearing face maskGetty Images
Unions say NHS workers are not being rewarded for going "above and beyond" during the pandemic

Accusations of "a botched pay review" have been directed at Welsh government after they wrongly announced the Welsh NHS's lowest paid will get a pay rise.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan said last week the starting pay for Welsh health workers would rise to £10.18 an hour.

Ms Morgan has corrected that to £9.50 an hour - equivalent to the real living wage - and has offered her "sincere apologies for any confusion".

Plaid Cymru has accused the government of conducting "a botched pay review".

The Welsh government said it would offer all NHS staff in Wales a 3% pay rise, backdated to April 2021, last week following a recommendation by NHS pay bodies.

At the time Ms Morgan said it "recognises the dedication and commitment of hardworking NHS staff" following the Covid pandemic which has stretched NHS resources.

Announcing the pay rise, she told Senedd members: "For our lowest paid staff, this means we have gone above the living wage recommendation of £9.50 an hour, which we implemented from April 2021, with our starting salary being £19,918 pa (£10.18 per hour)."

In a new statement on Friday, Ms Morgan said starting salaries for the lowest paid would remain at £18,576 a year - or £9.50 an hour - as implemented in April.

Eluned Morgan
Eluned Morgan wrongly announced the lowest paid would earn more

In a letter to Senedd members, she reiterated the NHS' lowest earners were already getting this and added that the Welsh government is "committed to tackling poverty in Wales".

The Welsh Conservatives were "pleased" Ms Morgan corrected her "mistake" and apologised.

"I'm sure no-one bears her ill will for an honest mistake," said Welsh Tories health spokesman Russell George.

"I hope there aren't any hard-working NHS staff who got their hopes up on the back of this error that led the lowest-paid in the sector to believe they were getting an additional £1,300 a year."

While Plaid Cymru said this was "a real blow" for those health staff that had gone "above and beyond the call of duty" during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Ministers must urgently address the confusion surrounding this botched pay review and honour the original, publicly announced pay rise," said Plaid's health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth.