MORE than 155,000 NHS staff in Scotland are having to wait for a promised pay rise which has already been given to health service workers south of the Border.

Nurses, doctors, therapists and porters across the country are among those who will not receive the rise in their April pay packets – because the Scottish Government has not instructed health boards to implement the pay increase.

Willie Duffy, head of health for Unison in Scotland, said he had contacted Scottish Government officials three times in the past fortnight asking what had happened to the pay circular telling health boards to pay staff more. He said: "The question our members will be asking - is how can English employers have a pay circular out to their staff, as do the Welsh, and why is it taking the length of time it is taking in Scotland? It is not a complicated issue."

The Royal College of Nursing in Scotland associate director Norman Provan said: "It's unfortunate the Scottish Government has failed to instruct boards to implement this year's pay increase on time. Although their increase will be backdated, the delay is yet another additional burden on nurses when they're already facing unprecedented financial pressure following a two-year pay freeze and increased pension contributions."

He called on the Government to avoid any delay in paying staff "what they're due" in future.

It is not the first time a pay rise has been delayed in Scotland. The Scottish Government indicated the reason this year was the addition of some extra money in Scotland for the lowest-paid NHS workers.

However, the British Medical Association in Scotland, which represents doctors, noted a controversial hike in employees' pension contributions had gone ahead on time this month.

A spokeswoman said: "On March 15, the Scottish Government announced its plans to implement a 1% pay rise for all NHS-employed staff, including hospital doctors. But, because of delays in issuing the directions to NHS boards, doctors will not have received this increase in their April pay packets. They will, however, have noticed a reduction in their overall pay as their NHS pension contributions rise by more than 2% for the second year in a row."

Jackie Baillie, health spokeswoman for Scottish Labour, described the delay as deeply embarrassing. She said: "Alex Neil should apologise to all health staff affected. I'm sure if he was to get a pay rise, they wouldn't make the same mistake. Those who work hard, day in, day out to save lives shouldn't miss out either."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "All NHS staff covered by agenda for change will see a 1% increase in salary from April 1, 2013. There has been extra work required to create the circular, as in Scotland staff earning under £21,000 will also receive a supplement to raise their pay by a total of £250 and we have been working to include that.

"The circular will be issued shortly and the increase in pay will be backdated to April 1, 2013."