SALARY BOOST FOR 21,694 NHS LOTHIAN STAFF

NURSES BETTER OFF IN SCOTLAND COMPARED TO REST OF UK
 
SNP MSP Colin Beattie has hailed the SNP Government’s salary boost for 21,694 hardworking staff in NHS Lothian.
 
Over 148,000 NHS Scotland staff will be offered a minimum 9% pay rise over the next three years - the highest NHS pay uplift being offered in the whole of the UK.
 
This follows the First Minister’s announcement that NHS Agenda for Change employees would receive a 3% pay increase in next month’s pay packet and backdated to the beginning of the year.
 
Relative to staff in England, NHS Scotland nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and paramedics, amongst others, will receive a minimum cumulative uplift of 9%, and those earning £80,000 and over will receive a flat rate increase of £1,600 a year. The changes will be agreed between NHS employers, unions and the Scottish Government by the end of the year.
 
Commenting, SNP MSP Colin Beattie for Midlothian North and Musselburgh said:
 
“This is an important SNP Government investment in the 21,694 NHS staff who care for us day in day out in NHS Lothian.  
 
“Currently, Advanced Nurse Practitioners in Scotland are getting paid £430 more a year than those in England, and if they secured a job with a band 7 salary last year, they’d see their salary grow by over £8,800 over the next three years.
 
“Not only is the SNP Government bringing NHS Scotland staffing to historically high levels – we are making sure that our healthcare professionals are getting the best pay deal in the whole of the UK and making our NHS a more attractive place to work.
 
“We will always stand up for what’s best for Midlothian and East Lothian's  health services and the hard-working staff who go to incredible efforts on our behalf.”