Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to make consolidated payments to members of the NHS Professionals National Bank.

Funding for the 2023-24 consolidated pay uplift for Agenda for Change staff was provided to National Health Service providers through the usual routes.

NHS Professionals Ltd (NHSP), a limited company wholly owned by the Department, is a supplier of clinical and non-clinical temporary workforce to client NHS trusts. NHSP contracts on an arm’s length basis with NHS trusts to provide flexible workforce solutions including managed bank services and its National Bank offering.

NHSP requires approval from its client trusts to implement any pay change for all bank members, including annual consolidated increases. NHSP administers an annual process in line with the NHS Agenda for Change consolidated pay increase process; however, each client trust retains discretion over its implementation. Some NHSP bank members have distinct pay arrangements that do not fall within the regular Agenda for Change framework and again individual trusts determine the pay and conditions for those members of staff.

NHSP has provided guidance to its bank workers on eligibility for the consolidated 2023-24 award.