An agreement has been reached to improve the pay and terms and conditions of thousands of NHS Wales staff after a union said they had been “underpaid for years.”

Healthcare support workers across Wales are now to receive a wage rise and thousands of pounds in back pay.

More than 6,000 staff, currently employed on the lowest band of the NHS Agenda for Change salary scale, will be moved up a level and receive payments for the extra duties they've been performing.

It follows an agreement secured by Unison Cymru with employers and the Welsh government recognising the workers have been consistently carrying out clinical roles beyond their job descriptions.

It acknowledges these responsibilities should have been paid at the higher rate.

Unison encouraged the predominantly female and low-paid workforce to collectively submit formal grievances to their health boards, highlighting the work they had undertaken that would normally have been on a higher grade.

According to NHS guidance, healthcare support workers on band 2 of the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale should only be providing personal care such as bathing and feeding patients.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board healthcare support worker Evie Fox-Byrne said: “Our work is vital in supporting patients and helping them recover.

“Health boards shouldn't be taking advantage of staff to save a few quid.

“This is money we were owed, dating back years.

“Healthcare assistants have gone above and beyond for many years, so receiving this recognition brings much-needed relief and support to everyone involved.

"This will make such a difference to me and my family, especially my little daughter.

“I'm over the moon.”

Unison Cymru head of health Tanya Bull said: “Thousands of low-paid healthcare support workers will savour this moment.

“They stood up for their right to be paid at the appropriate level for the job they've been doing for years.

"They've taken on their health boards and won.

“This is a triumph for people power.”

The Welsh Government said that the national agreement, brokered by the Welsh Government and NHS Wales employers, “marks an important step in ensuring around 6,000 NHS Wales staff members are treated fairly and receive the right pay for the work they do.”

The agreement, which affects band 2 and 3 staff employed by health boards and NHS trusts all over Wales was ratified on 19 November by the Welsh Government, NHS employers and trade unions.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Jeremy Miles said: “This national approach demonstrates our shared commitment to supporting the NHS workforce and ensuring staff are properly and fairly rewarded for the work they do.

“This will help ensure job roles align with the appropriate pay bands, supporting fair working conditions for all NHS Wales staff.”

The national framework, which has been agreed in social partnership, will ensure updated job descriptions are available to all band 2 and 3 staff.

The Welsh Government recently supported Swansea Bay Health Board to resolve a similar dispute led by Unison.

Affected staff will receive a “recognition and corrective payment.”