§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts and hospitals had not implemented the nurses' pay award in time for increases to be paid in April salary payments. [84674]
§ Mr. DenhamIt is the responsibility of National Health Service employers to ensure that the necessary arrangements are made as soon as possible to pay the new national salary scales effective from 1 April 1999. Some employees have received their pay increase in their April salary; where this has not been possible payment will be made in May and back dated to 1 April.
Following the publication of the Review Body Report on Nursing Staff, Midwives and Health Visitors on 1 February, a pay offer was made to nursing trades union and professional organisations on 10 February which was accepted on 16 March, subject to further discussions on the content of the Advance Letter.
The Advance Letter promulgating the pay increase for 1999–2000 was sent for printing on 29 March and issued to the NHS on 8 April 1999, it was also placed on the NHS web site—www.doh.gov.uk/nhsexec/alpay.hdm; this was as soon as possible after the nursing Staff Side accepted the pay offer and agreed the contents of the letter, and was ahead of the date on which Advance Letters have been issued in previous years.
We will be discussing with nursing unions and professional organisations whether it would be possible to speed up their consultative procedures and other administrative arrangements in future years in order to ensure nurses receive their pay increase in April.