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COVID-19: nurses in Wales to receive £500 bonus for work during pandemic

RCN Wales says one-off payment is not the 'substantive pay rise we have been calling for’

RCN Wales director says one-off payment is not the 'substantive pay rise we have been calling for’

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NHS and social care staff in Wales will receive a bonus payment for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, with most receiving £500 after tax and national insurance deductions.

Health minister Vaughan Gething said the £735 one-off payment reflected the immense gratitude the country had for its health and social care staff, and was ‘not linked to the current issue of NHS pay’.

Vaughan Gething

He added: ‘We in the Welsh Government have submitted our evidence to the independent pay review bodies without an arbitrary cap on pay, and we await their independent advice and recommendations.’

RCN wants ‘a commitment to ensuring fair pay for nursing’

RCN Wales director Helen Whyley said they wanted more from the Welsh Government than one-off payments.

‘Let’s be clear a one-off COVID-19 bonus is not a significant and substantive pay rise that we have been calling for our nursing staff,’ she said.

‘What we want from the Welsh Government is a commitment to ensuring fair pay for nursing, fair pay that addresses the 1,600 plus vacancies in Wales, fair pay that encourages nurses to stay in the profession, and fair pay that ensures the delivery of excellent patient care.’


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