More than 1,500 health workers who provide vital services are set to miss out on an NHS pay bonus.

Staff from Medway Community Healthcare (MCH) were told on Monday they wouldn’t be getting part of the government pay award, despite being on the same contracts as NHS staff.

MCH runs 31 clinics around the Towns – including in Hoo, Rainham and Lordswood – every week and treat 10,000 patients a month.

The service is seen as part of the wider family of the NHS, but is classed as a social enterprise rather than directly apart of it.

Its workers battled through the pandemic like frontline hospital staff to treat people and have described the decision not to include them in the pay increase as “disgraceful”.

“It’s a kick in the teeth,” said phlebotomy clinical lead Samantha Pearce, who leads a team of 30 people set to miss out on the pay award.

“We worked continuously and tirelessly through the pandemic, putting ourselves and our families at risk.

“While other places were forced to close, we stayed open. We have NHS emails, NHS guidelines and we’re monitored by the CQC but we’re not seen as equal.”

The 47-year-old said her bosses at the MCH are just as frustrated as she and her staff are with the government’s decision not to fund part of the pay rises and they are all lobbying Medway’s MPs Tracey Crouch, Rehman Chishti and Kelly Tolhurst.

She said: “We’re not treated the same as hospital workers. A lot of staff are having to work second jobs because of the current living situation and this pay rise would have helped them.”

Ms Pearce, of Lonsdale Drive, Rainham, says the MCH services are “more personal” for patients than going to the hospital and people can be seen within 10 minutes.

Describing her team’s reaction to the shock Monday announcement, she added: “Disappointed. Angry. Frustrated.

“Times are tight and a lot of people, myself included at one point, need seconds jobs. It’s a real kick in the teeth.

“I fully stand by my team – It’s not right they don’t get a pay rise. For them to not get it is disgraceful.”

Ms Pearce has worked at MCH for 14 years, taking up her most recent position in 2015, and believes the future of the service is in danger if things aren’t sorted.

She added: “One person has already resigned and I think more will follow if it isn’t resolved.”

An email sent to workers, seen by KentOnline, from managing director Martin Riley said: “Contrary to recent press and national announcements suggesting that the Agenda for Change pay award will be fully funded, we have been told that it will not be funded for non-statutory NHS organisations.

“This is extremely worrying from both an individual and organisational perspective. We understand that you will be incredibly upset if we are unable to pay the award in full.”

Mr Riley said it was likely but not confirmed MCH will receive funding for a salary increase backdated from April 1, 2023, but it will not received a non-consolidated bonus which could have ranged from £1,650 to £3,800.

He continued: “This means it will cost MCH £2.2million, which is a very significant sum for us to find on top of current budget pressures and funding gaps.

“As a social enterprise we are not funded beyond our contract income if we run into financial difficulty unlike NHS Trusts. Therefore, payment of the award needs to be considered carefully.”

Yvonne Edmeads, who works at MCH, branded the situation “disgraceful”.

She said: “Sadly, on Monday, as one of many Medway Community Healthcare employees, I received news from our executives that we who work here, which is a social enterprise under the NHS umbrella, are now not going to be eligible for the back dated pay rise or the consolidation payment.

“All of us worked so very hard during the pandemic on the front line, risking ourselves and our families every day, offering exceptional service when many hospitals closed their doors for routine tests and smiling through tears and pain when colleagues and loved ones passed away from covid.

“Yet we are to be excluded from the NHS back dated pay award.”

A statement from Rochester MP Kelly Tolhurst, also on behalf of her colleagues Tracey Crouch and Rehman Chishti, said: “My fellow Medway MPs and I have been contacted by the Chief Executive and several staff at MCH regarding the Agenda for Change pay deal.

“The government has agreed a fair pay deal with NHS staff as well as offering a non-consolidated bonus. As MCH is a Community Interest Company it appears that the pay deal may not apply to them in the exact same way and MCH may not receive funding for the bonus.

“While we were disappointed that MCH hadn’t raised this with us as MPs until now, we appreciate the impact this could have on our constituents who work for MCH and who often do the same role as other statutory NHS Staff.

“We have jointly written to the Secretary of State for Health to highlight these concerns and ask whether these arrangements could be reviewed. We will keep in contact with Ministers in the Department for Health and the leadership at MCH to update them with the situation, which I hope we can resolve.”

The MCH told workers it is lobbying NHS England and the government, as well as working with Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) and writing to their MPs and Medway Council.

An MCH spokesman said: “The Secretary of State recently released a statement confirming the implementation of the recently agreed pay offer for all NHS staff on the ‘Agenda for Change’ contract. However, it has become clear to us that this does not, in fact, refer to ‘all staff’; but only to those working for statutory NHS organisations (i.e. NHS Trusts).

“Medway Community Healthcare (MCH) is a social enterprise, and social enterprises are very much part of the NHS family delivering frontline health and social care services.

“MCH has successfully been the provider of adult and children’s community services and GP out-of-hours services in Medway and other areas across Kent since 2011.

“We work in partnership with local GPs, Medway Foundation Trust, Medway Council, the voluntary sector and other stakeholders. We employ around 1,550 staff and serve a population of 300,000.

“We are extremely concerned about the implications of the pay deal for our patients and staff.

“The 22/23 non-consolidated payment (‘bonus lump sum’) amounts to £2.2m for MCH and applies to substantive staff only, in post at 31st March 2023. This element particularly seems to have been overlooked for funding non-NHS healthcare organisations, despite staff being on Agenda for Change contracts.

“The 2023/24 5% ‘payrise’ element is an additional £1.9m above what was expected and planned for.

“These are clearly very significant sums for a £78m organisation. If unfunded, these, (combined with a net £2m reduction of income from 22/23 for the same service delivery in 23/24, and the increased rate of inflation), could, and very likely will, impact on the services we are able to provide to our local communities.”

Managing director Martin Riley added: “The vast majority of MCH staff are on Agenda for Change contracts and terms and conditions.

“We fear that the government may unintentionally treat our staff unfairly when they are, of course, just as committed to and passionate about delivering high quality health and care services as any others; and should not feel excluded and undervalued.

“We are working with Social Enterprise UK (SEUK), and we are in discussion with local MPs, NHS England and our fellow non-statutory NHS providers; to secure funding and do the right thing for our staff and patients.”

Peter Holbrook CBE, chief executive of Social Enterprise UK, said: "Social enterprises are a crucial part of the NHS family, delivering over a billion pounds of services and employing many thousands of staff while reinvesting any profits in communities.

“Health Secretary Steve Barclay recently said that he would implement the NHS pay deal for all staff on Agenda for Change – but he has yet to come up with the money, putting these organisations and their staff in an impossible position.

“We expect the Department to take urgent steps to solve this before staff, services and patients are adversely affected."

The Department for Health has been approached for comment.