Trust to require London Living Wage for all future support service contracts
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is to specify the London Living Wage (LLW) as a minimum pay rate for all new support service contracts.
The decision will have its first impact on the facilities management contract - covering cleaning, patient dining, portering and helpdesk functions - which is currently part of a re-tendering process. Around half of the staff employed in these roles receive only the statutory minimum hourly rate, set by the government and determined by their age.
The Trust will also require that all new contracts specify that any annual uplifts to the LLW are applied.
Professor Tim Orchard, chief executive of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said:
“We know how important it is for patient care that all our staff feel fully valued, motivated and engaged; the move to the London Living Wage for indirectly employed staff is part of ensuring this. We are grateful for the views of our support staff and their representatives for helping us to reach this decision.”
All employers in the UK must legally apply either the National Living Wage (NLW) for staff 25 and over, or the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for those under 25.
The London Living Wage is the hourly minimum wage set annually by the Living Wage Foundation and calculated by the Resolution Foundation based on the best available evidence about living standards in the UK. It is optional for employers but is intended to raise the pay of those on the lowest incomes to ensure it covers the basic cost of living and working in London. All staff directly employed by the Trust are already paid above the LLW.
The Trust employs the services of contractors who specialise in areas of work which support the delivery of health services and patient care. The Trust has started the re-tendering process for its facilities management contract, its largest contract, with the successful provider expected to be in place by April 2020.
