Darren Millar
Welsh Conservatives today urged the Welsh Labour Government to recognise the dedication and tireless efforts of the staff who are the National Health Service, as details about their pay emerged.
The pay award for 2014-15 amounts to at least £160, while the living wage will be implemented for the lowest earners.
Specialist doctors at the top of their pay scale will receive a 1% increase. Very senior managers will receive no additional pay award in 2014-15.
Unlike in England, no agreement has been reached on specialist doctors’ pay for 2015-16 in Wales.
Darren Millar AM, Shadow Minister for Health, said, “It is the dedication and tireless efforts of NHS staff that deliver care, compassion and treatment to patients day in day out and their massive contribution should be recognised.
“I welcome the unusual decision not to offer pay awards to very senior NHS bureaucrats, who already earn far more than those working at the coalface.
“For specialist doctors and consultants, more needs to be done to attract the brightest and the best to come to live and work in Wales and pay inevitably forms part of that offer.
“Given the recruitment challenges in some parts of the health service, I urge the Welsh Government to enter into pay negotiations as soon as possible to help doctors’ groups to attract the new recruits that our NHS needs to Wales.
“We welcome the introduction of the living wage for the NHS’ very lowest earners, who will have already benefitted from the increases in the personal allowance by Conservative-led UK government.
“Surveys repeatedly show the very best element of our National Health Service is the staff that work in it and the care they provide for patients and it is right that they are valued through fair pay.”
