NHS Scotland pay awards information: FOI release

Information requested

Information regarding NHS pay awards for the past 6 years.

1. For each of the past 6 years I want to know the actual date that the NHS Scotland staff award was eventually paid and hence the length of time between when it was due ie 1st April and the date eventually paid to staff.

2. For each of the past 6 years I want to know how much the government made in interest on the total sum by not paying out the NHS Scotland staff award on time on 1st April each year and by not paying interest on the back payment when eventually paid to staff.

Response

I enclose a copy of all of the information you requested.

The answer to your question is captured within Annex A of this response.

Some of the information you have requested is available from existing public domain websites. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you, however I have collated the relative web address links in Annex A for your convenience.

Annex A

Q1. For each of the past 6 years I want to know the actual date that the NHS Scotland staff award was eventually paid and hence the length of time between when it was due ie 1st April and the date eventually paid to staff.

Answer: NHS Scotland Staff fall under three key category groups which are separately negotiated – 1) Agenda for Change, 2) Medical and Dental and 3) Executive and Senior Management.

Agenda for Change Staff

• 2024/25 – Initial salary uplift due October 2024, backdated to 1 April 2024 - https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2024-afc-05.pdf
• 2023/24 - Circular issued 21 March 2023 ahead of April 2023 salary uplift - https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2023-afc-02.pdf
• 2022/23 – Initial salary uplift in January 2023, backdated pay to 1 April 2022 - https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2022-afc-03.pdf
• The 2018 Agenda for Change pay deal involved three years of pay settlements (2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21) and four years (including 2021/22) of restructuring to shorten pay bands - all of which was agreed in partnership over the four year period. As such, the following circulars relate to the corresponding salary uplifts / structural changes to the pay system during that time –
• 2021/22 – Initial salary uplift as per circulars and subsequent updated amendments / confirmation of backdated pay (where applicable) -
• https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2021-afc-01.pdf
• https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2021-afc-02.pdf
• https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2021-afc-03.pdf
• 2020/21 – Circular issued 4 March 2020 ahead of April 2020 salary uplift - https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2020-afc-01.pdf
• 2019/20 – Circular issued 15 March 2019 ahead of April 2019 salary uplift - https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2019-afc-01.pdf

Medical and Dental Staff

• 2024/25 – Negotiations for the 2024 pay uplift for all Medical and Dental groups (e.g. Consultants and Resident Doctors) are ongoing
• 2023/24 – Circular issued 22 August 2023 – https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2023-dd-01.pdf
• 2022/23 – Circular issued 5 August 2022 - https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2022-dd-01addendum.pdf
• 2021/22 – Circular issued 8 September 2021 – https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2021-dd-02addendum.pdf
• 2020/21 – Circular issued 24 August 2020 – https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2020-dd-02add.pdf
• 2019/20 – Circular issued 12 September 2019 – https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2019-dd-02add.pdf

Executive and Senior Management Staff

• 2024/25 – Negotiations for the 2024 pay uplift for Executive and Senior Management staff are ongoing
• 2023/24 – Circular issued 21 September 2023 - https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2023-esm-03.pdf
• 2022/23 – Circular issued 25 January 2023 - https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2023-esm-01.pdf
• 2021/22 – Circular issued 22 December 2021 – https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2021-esm-03a.pdf
• 2020/21 – Circular issued 26 October 2020 – https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2020-esm-01.pdf
• 2019/20 – Circular issued 19 September 2019 – https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/pcs2019-esm-02.pdf

For both Medical and Dental, and Executive and Senior Management staff the exact dates that the noted uplifts where paid would be dependent on numerous factors including individual contract and the administrative arrangements in place within each Health Board.

Q2. For each of the past 6 years I want to know how much the government made in interest on the total sum by not paying out the NHS Scotland staff award on time on 1st April each year and by not paying interest on the back payment when eventually paid to staff.

Answer: The Scottish Government draws down funds from His Majesty’s Treasury (HMT) on a monthly basis to cover expenditure for each particular month as it occurs. Therefore the funding required to meet annual pay increases are only drawn down from HMT on the month that the uplift is paid. In addition, the Scottish Governments main bank account is non-interest bearing and so there is no financial benefit for holding any cash balances between months.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.