NHS staff will receive a 3% pay rise backdated from April, the Department of Health and Social Care has announced.

The move comes after the government accepted recommendations from the pay review body and will affect staff in England.

Nurses, paramedics, consultants, dentistsand salaried GPs will receive a pay increase in recognition of their pandemic contribution during an “unprecedented year”.

In a statement, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: "NHS staff are rightly receiving a pay rise this year despite the wider public sector pay pause, in recognition of their extraordinary efforts.

"We asked the independent pay review bodies for their recommendations and I'm pleased to accept them in full, with a 3% pay rise for all staff in scope, from doctors and nurses to paramedics and porters.

"We will back the NHS as we focus our efforts on getting through this pandemic and tackling the backlog of other health problems that has built up.

"I will continue to do everything I can to support all those in our health service who are working so tirelessly to care for patients."

Minister for Care Helen Whately said: “I am determined to make the NHS the best place to work for all our staff and we continue to invest in recruitment and retention with over 45,300 more staff in the NHS now compared to a year ago, including nearly 9,000 more nurses and over 4,000 more doctors.

“Our NHS staff have worked incredibly hard to fight the pandemic for over eighteen months and I’m glad to confirm we are accepting the pay review bodies’ recommendations in full this year, so staff in their remit will receive a 3% pay rise.”

The Department of Health and Social Care said the pay rise would mean an additional £1,000 per year for the average nurse and a £540 annual increase for porters and cleaners.