English NHS social workers look set to receive a 5.5% pay rise, the government has announced.

This comes after ministers accepted the recommendations of the Pay Review Body (PRB), an independent body.

The pay rise will affect all NHS nursing staff on Agenda for Change (AfC) contracts in England, irrespective of pay band.

Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “This is a government thankfully prepared to act quite differently from its predecessors. 

“The NHS cannot begin to turn around its fortunes and eliminate delays unless it keeps the staff it has, and is an attractive career destination for potential recruits too. Pay and investment in the workforce is key to all that.

“This year’s wage increase is already more than a quarter of a year late. NHS staff will be pleased ministers haven’t made them wait any longer.

“An above-inflation rise was the right thing to do after many years of NHS wages lagging behind increasing prices. Though health workers will look at what they’re getting and compare it with the deal agreed for junior doctors. 

“This year’s pay rise cannot be a one-off. It’ll take much more than this boost to get the NHS into a better place.

“Patients are treated by one team in the NHS and everyone’s contribution is crucial and must be fairly valued, whether they’re doctors, cleaners, nurses, ambulance workers, porters or hospital admissions teams. The health and success of the NHS depends on each and every one of them.

“The public knows that without sufficient staff, the NHS won’t be able to deliver when they or their families need its care.

“Modernising the salary bands across the NHS so wages better reflect the increasingly complex jobs staff do has also been accepted by ministers as a priority. The resources for this will need to be found.

“Fully funding the wage rises for teachers and health workers is essential if under-pressure school and hospital budgets are to be spared. Teaching assistants, caretakers, cleaners and other school workers will be pleased ministers have brought the school support staff negotiating body back to life, and will be hopeful fairer pay is soon on the cards for them too.”

Meanwhile, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary and chief executive Nicola Ranger said: “When it comes to pay in the NHS, all professional groups deserve a clear route to fair pay restoration – making up for a very serious loss of earnings in the last 15 years.

“Stagnant salaries at a time of spiralling prices forced too many to leave and deterred others from joining.

“We do not begrudge doctors their pay rise. We work together closely, in the interests of our patients. What we ask for is the same fair treatment from government.

“Our members will vote on whether they see today’s announcement as enough of a start on our journey.

“When the full details are released, it must show that the funding is being made available to the NHS and all employers who deliver NHS services.

“Nurses are the ever-present, safety critical workforce across the whole of health and care. Our wages do not reflect that and still won’t after today.

“We will be pushing government to show us their plans for improving NHS pay – it is vital to recruit and retain nursing staff, fill tens of thousands of vacant nurse jobs and give people the care they deserve.”