Some NHS staff in England say they are not receiving an extra one-off payment awarded by the government as part of the latest pay deal for nurses and other workers such as ambulance crews.
The issue is affecting some “bank” staff, who provide temporary cover for hospital trusts to fill rota gaps.
Some say they have not received the lump sum, of at least £1,655.
It was part of the new pay agreement for more than a million NHS workers, in addition to a 5% rise.
The Unite union has accused ministers of a cynical ploy.
The Department of Health and Social Care says the deal, agreed with most unions, involved a one-off payment for staff directly employed by NHS organisations – but for those on locally managed contracts, such as bank staff, it was up to individual employers to determine pay and conditions.
One staff nurse, from Liverpool, has started a petition asking the government to ensure all NHS bank staff in England receive the non-consolidated payments.
Bank staff are not employed on the national Agenda for Change contract other nurses and healthcare staff fall under.
The bank allows NHS staff at a trust to work extra shifts – but some health workers work only for the bank, taking whatever shifts are offered, and some of these have found they did not qualify for the one-off payment, even though all their work is for the NHS.
Some bank workers are paid the same rates as staff at the same employer, with some holiday and sick pay.
But others, in exchange for flexibility over hours, can be paid more per hour though without the same employment protection.
Arrangements vary trust by trust.
