A LOCAL district nurse has welcomed the news that healthcare staff who work for non-NHS organisations may now be eligible to receive the NHS Backlog Bonus.
In recognition of Health Service support during Covid, the government announced in June that a one-off bonus payment would be given to over one million NHS workers amounting to £1,250 per person depending on experience. However, not all health care staff were eligible for the bonus, because the trusts they work for are not financially supported by the government.
Local district nurse, Alison Hussey, who works for the partnership trust, Wiltshire Health and Care (WHC), lobbied support for the payment to be made to all NHS staff, saying they “felt let down” that the payment was not given to all NHS staff. She called on her fellow nurses and local Chippenham MP, Michelle Donelan, to support the campaign.
Now, the government says it will provide financial help to non-NHS organisations such as charities, trusts and social enterprises, to enable them to pay their healthcare staff the NHS Backlog Bonus, worth at least £1,655, to honour their hard work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Alison says, “It’s exciting news. We are waiting to hear if Wiltshire Health and Care is eligible to apply for the funding, but it looks very promising and it’s such a relief to know that my colleagues and I will now hopefully be valued the same as staff in the rest of the wider NHS.
“It’s a shame that it has taken a legal challenge and the threat of industrial action to get this far. We are not celebrating until we are sure, but it certainly feels like a positive step. My concern is now to close this loophole and prevent the situation arising again in the future.”
Health Minister, Will Quince said, “Given the difficult economic context, we have made the decision to provide additional funding on this occasion to help deliver the one-off payments to eligible staff employed by non-NHS organisations.
“This will ensure hardworking healthcare staff and the organisations they work for are not financially disadvantaged as a result of the NHS pay deal and means they will receive their backlog bonus for their efforts during the pandemic.”
