London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 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
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×