Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how they are seeking to reward those working in the National Health Service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are incredibly proud of all National Health Service staff and we are working hard to ensure that staff feel supported and safe to continue the fight against COVID-19 and their extraordinary commitment is recognised.

Pay for over one million Agenda for Change (AfC) staff is already set for 2020/21 as part of the agreed three year pay and contract reform deal and for doctors and dentists in training following a four-year pay and contract reform deal agreed in June 2019 (2019/20 – 2022/23).

The Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration will make pay recommendations for 2020/21 as usual for consultants and speciality doctors. Next year it will be for the NHS Pay Review Body to make recommendations for the pay of staff on AfC contracts from April 2021.

We want to ensure that the NHS employment offer continues to attract, retain and reward staff and this offer continues to be kept under review.