Hospital staff offered pay deal after strike vote

A union said its members were not on standard NHS contracts, four years after transferring from a contractor

Two hospitals are increasing pay for more than 500 support staff after some workers voted to go on strike, a union has said.

Members at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust were not on standard NHS contracts four years after transferring from a contractor, the union United Voices of the World (UVW) said.

The lowest-paid cleaners, caterers, porters and transport workers will see wages increase by £40 a week from April, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The trust said it took "decisive action to end an historical arrangement that left some of our people paid different rates for doing similar work".

It added that it would now consult staff at Epsom Hospital in Surrey and St Helier Hospital in London on the proposed contract changes.

UVW said it had secured the deal after protesting a trust board meeting and voting in favour of walkouts.

The proposed new arrangement will improve annual leave, sickness pay and unsocial hours enhancements by 2028, the union added.

UVW general secretary Petros Elia said staff had spent years being "ignored, underpaid and treated worse than second class".

Carshalton and Wallington MP Bobby Dean said the deal was "a step in the right direction for staff" but risked "stretching hospital finances further".

The change expected to the contracts will cost the trust £7.9m plus corrections to past pension contributions.