63,000 public healthcare staff to get pay rise of up to 7%

Increase among moves to attract and retain allied health professionals and nurses

- Lee Li Ying

Some 63,000 healthcare professionals in the public sector will get an increase of up to 7 per cent on their monthly base salaries from July 1 as the sector strives to better attract and retain staff.

Specifically, 37,000 allied healthcare professionals (AHPs), pharmacists, and administrative, ancillary and support staff will get the maximum salary increase of up to 7 per cent. The last salary increase for this group of healthcare professionals was in 2021.

Another group of 26,000 public healthcare nurses will also have their monthly base salaries bumped up, but the cap is at 4 per cent.

The adjustments are on top of the Award for Nurses' Grace, Excellence and Loyalty (Angel) scheme launched in September 2024 to attract and encourage nurses to build a lifelong career in nursing. The Angel scheme will see about 29,000 nurses receiving up to $100,000 each in payouts over a 20-year period.

"With these salary increases, which are over and above the annual increments, we will enable the public healthcare sector to better attract and retain staff," the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement on March 27.

The ministry said that healthcare staff will continue to receive annual pay increments, aimed at keeping salaries in pace with inflation. It added that healthcare workers are the driving force behind good care, and salary reviews are conducted regularly to ensure pay remains competitive.