Back in March 2021, the PDA highlighted an announcement from the Welsh Government that it was funding a bonus payment for NHS and social care staff to recognise their extraordinary contribution during the Covid-19 pandemic. The then Health Minister, Vaughan Gething said that the one-off payment was equivalent to £735 per person, to cover the basic rate of tax and national insurance contributions incurred. After deductions most people will receive £500.
The PDA has received inquiries from many locums who have been working in Wales throughout the pandemic about how they should claim this one-off payment, and the PDA has been investigating this matter on their behalf.
The PDA has now received an update on how locums in Wales should claim, and are advising PDA members to act as soon as possible as the timescale for applications is very short.
Legislation to enable payments to be made (primary care (NHS Covid-19 Bonus Payment Scheme) Directions 2021) states that eligible locums must submit a completed NHS Covid-19 Bonus Payment Locum Worker Application Form* to the primary care provider who they wish to make the application on their behalf no later than 11 June 2021.
Claim details for NHS Bonus Payment – Wales
Locum pharmacists can now check their eligibility and find the claims process included in the Welsh Health Circular here. The necessary claim form can be found at Annex D of the Circular. It can also be found below as a word file.
Annex D – Locum Worker Application Form – ENGLISH VERSION
Annex D – Locum Worker Application Form – WELSH VERSION
PDA members who are eligible to claim should return the above form to the employer for whom they worked the most sessions during the qualifying period who will claim the bonus payment on their behalf.
The claim form must be returned to the employer who will be making the claim no later than 11 June 2021.
More information can be found here.
The PDA is also still awaiting information on an electronic claim process for locums in Scotland who are eligible for the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 payment to NHS staff. Inquiries in relation to this matter are ongoing as a matter of urgency.
Not yet a PDA member?
If you have not yet joined the PDA, we encourage you to join today and encourage your colleagues to do the same.
Membership is FREE to pharmacy students, pre-regs and for the first three months of being provisionally registered/newly qualified.
Read about our key member benefits here.