London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Covid in Wales: Bonus payment for NHS and care staff

Covid in Wales: Bonus payment for NHS and care staff

A bonus payment will be paid to all NHS and social care workers in Wales.

The Welsh government said it would pay nearly 222,000 people the equivalent of £735 each, with an element to cover tax and National Insurance deductions.

It means most would get £500, Health Minster Vaughan Gething said, adding it "expresses our gratitude" to those working in those jobs.

But the Royal College of Nursing warned "a one-off Covid-19 bonus is not a significant and substantive pay rise".

It is the second bonus for social care staff, and the first for NHS workers.

"Nurses have gone above and beyond in the past 12 months," said Helen Whyley, director of RCN Wales.

She called for fair pay that encouraged nurses to stay in the profession and attract more staff.

The RCN union says the bonus does not represent a pay rise

However, the announcement was welcomed by the trade union Unison Cymru Wales, which said it was "in contrast to the insulting approach of the Conservative UK government".

The Department of Health and Social Care has recommended a 1% pay rise to an independent panel examining salaries of NHS staff in England.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said it was as much as ministers could give. The £735 payment is separate to NHS pay.

The Welsh Tories' Janet Finch-Saunders called for "longer-term pay recognition" for staff, while Plaid Cymru said the difference in health care and social care pay needed to be addressed.

Both parties backed a minimum wage for social care workers of £10 an hour in the Senedd on Wednesday evening.

The bonus award, the Welsh government said, will benefit an estimated 221,945 people.

They include 103,600 social care staff, 90,000 NHS Wales staff, 2,345 deployed students and 26,000 primary care staff, including pharmacy, GP, dental and optometry workers.

Last year a £500 payment was made to social care staff, but it did not cover any element of tax that would need to be paid on it.

Welsh ministers argued the Treasury should cover it. Plaid had called the handling of the matter "baffling".

The Welsh government said it was working with councils - which fund social care - and trade unions to finalise how the new payments would work.

At a Covid briefing on Wednesday Mr Gething said the Welsh government would not set an "arbitrary cap" on a pay rise for NHS staff.

The issue of NHS pay rises is considered by independent pay review bodies who recommend how much staff should earn.

"For NHS staff it really does feel like a kick in the teeth for the UK government to say there would only be a 1% pay raise and that's what they want the pay review bodies to agree to," said Mr Gething.

"That isn't what we've done here in Wales, I've released the evidence and the letters that I have sent to those pay review bodies, we are not setting an arbitrary cap."

The announcement came ahead of a Senedd debate, where Plaid Cymru said it would call for social workers to receive £10 an hour.

'Huge disparity'


Delyth Jewell, Plaid Cymru Senedd member, said: "This is a one-off recognition, it's a bonus because of the sacrifices that everyone in these sectors have had to make this past year

"The wider conversation we should be having is about the fact that there is this huge disparity between what health workers, and what care workers receive."

Janet Finch-Saunders, for the Welsh Conservatives, told BBC Wales she wanted to see "longer-term pay recognition" for staff, but said the payment was "welcome news".

Asked what she would want to see in terms of a pay rise, she said: "I don't think you can quantify or put in an actual percentage figure, but I just hope that here in Wales with the money that they now have that they actually do reward our health and social care workers."


Coronavirus: NHS bonus after 'truly remarkable contribution'


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×