Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the current NHS pay structure on recruitment and retention of lower-paid (a) administrative, (b) clerical, (c) estates, (d) portering and (e) support staff.

On 12 February, we accepted the NHS Pay Review Body’s recommendation on headline pay for Agenda for Change (AfC) staff in England, which resulted in a 3.3% consolidated pay uplift to all pay points. When making its recommendations to the Government on headline pay, the NHS Pay Review Body should give due consideration to recruitment and retention in line with its Terms of Reference.

The NHS Staff Council has been provided with a mandate to negotiate changes to the AfC’s pay structures in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, including in relation to Bands 2 to 4 and to pay for the lowest paid National Health Service staff. The NHS Staff Council is the national partnership body that brings together NHS employers and recognised trade unions to negotiate and agree the national terms and conditions for AfC staff.

These negotiations are ongoing, and any changes will be backdated to 1 April 2026. Funding arrangements will be confirmed in due course.