Cash payments, of up to £3,000, are to be given to more than 27,000 health workers.

Tens of thousands of staff including community nurses, speech therapists, physiotherapists and cleaners will soon receive two one-off payments worth at least £1,655 and up to £3,000.

Health workers employed with charities, private providers, councils and social enterprises who support NHS patients are all set to benefit.

In a major boost for the workforce – the government is providing the money and says organisations will receive the cash to make the payments to staff in the coming months.

Forming part of the wider NHS pay deal – one of the payments is specifically intended to recognise the sustained pressure facing the health service and the effort staff across the sector have made to meet a government promise to cut waiting lists.

Retaining talented staff, says the government, is central to the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and it recognises ‘the vital role played by staff in non-NHS organisations’ in supporting both patients and the wider health service.

Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins added: “I hugely value the hard work of all our healthcare staff, and those working in non-NHS organisations offer vital support to patients.

“I want to ensure that eligible staff receive these payments, which is why we chose to deliver this funding and why we have taken the decision to relax the financial eligibility criteria employers must meet.

“It will ensure that hardworking staff and the organisations they work for can fully benefit from the NHS pay deal.”

Last year, more than one million NHS staff on the Agenda for Change contract - which includes nurses, paramedics, 999 call handlers, midwives, security guards and cleaners - received their two one-off payments alongside a 5% pay rise.

These payments originally only applied to those directly employed by NHS organisations but in November the government launched a scheme to provide non-NHS organisations with funding to cover the costs for their eligible staff.

Eligibility

The payments will be provided to organisations, which deliver NHS and Public Health Grant services, who employ staff on ‘dynamically linked Agenda for Change contracts’.

All eligible organisations, promises the Department of Health and Social Care, will now be contacted by NHS England or the Department itself to be given the funding as ‘quickly as possible’.