New agreement to ensure NHS staff in England are paid properly for every working hour

Health workers across England should now be paid properly for every hour they’re at work during the pandemic, following an agreement reached between health unions and NHS employers today (Friday). Since March staff have been working flat out, treating and caring for patients, and keeping the NHS running under immense pressure – but often not getting paid for all the hours they put in, says UNISON. Some NHS trusts have made sure staff are paid for every hour of overtime worked, but this hasn’t been the case everywhere. That’s why 15 unions representing staff working in English NHS trusts – including UNISON, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives – have agreed an overtime template with employers. This will now be used locally to ensure health workers across England get all the pay they are due. In more normal times, NHS staff frequently work beyond their shifts – sometimes without payment or on reduced bank hourly rates. But given the pressures the entire NHS team has been under in recent weeks – often working under extremely challenging and difficult conditions – unions were determined this situation couldn’t continue into the pandemic. Ensuring proper payment for every hour worked for all NHS staff – including those on higher grades not usually able to claim overtime – was contained in a nine-point blueprint published by health unions earlier this month. This document sets out how the NHS can safely start to reopen many of the s...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: News Press release coronavirus health pay Sara Gorton Unpaid overtime Source Type: news