Recognition of the two one-off payments extends beyond the NHS workers and include those not directly employed by the NHS under Agenda for Change contracts.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has recently announced two one-off payments, each at least worth £1,665, for community nurses, physiotherapists, speech-and-language therapists, sexual health workers, and other frontline heroes who are not directly employed by the NHS.
This move comes as a part of a broader effort to acknowledge the invaluable contributions made by healthcare workers across various sectors, including social enterprises, charities, private providers, and local authorities, who are employed by non-NHS organisations.
While the pay rise of five per cent was exclusively granted to NHS employees last year, the DHSC has extended two one-off payments equating to £3,000 to over 27,000 non-NHS healthcare workers, operating under Agenda for Change contracts, this year.
Forming part of the wider NHS pay deal, the DHSC said that one of the new payments was specifically intended to recognise the efforts healthcare workers had made to cut waiting lists.
Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said:" I hugely value the hard work of all our healthcare staff, and those working in non-NHS organisations offer vital support to patients. "
"I want to ensure that eligible staff receive these payments, which is why we chose to deliver the funding and why we have taken the decision to relax the financial eligibility criteria employers must meet. "
Highlighting the benefit of the pay deal, Atkins further added that it will "ensure that hardworking staff and the organisations they work for can fully benefit from the NHS pay deal."
In response to the new announcement, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) director for England Patricia Marquis said it was "a huge leap forward" and recognised the efforts of the healthcare workers stating, "they deliver NHS care and deserve the same treatment."
"Nursing staff providing publicly funded care, on whatever contracts, must be paid this award. Waiting for 12 months added insult to injury and the department must learn never to repeat this."
