In response to a government announcement of funding for one-off payments for eligible non-NHS organisations under the NHS pay deal, Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, said:

"Leaders across the NHS will welcome wholeheartedly the news that eligible healthcare staff providing vital health and care services through social enterprises, charities and community interest companies will receive the one-off payment as part of this year's pay award.

"These staff make a vital contribution to delivering front line patient care. At a time when cost of living pressures continue to bite, it is positive that this discrepancy is finally being addressed.

"It is essential now that the process for applying for this funding is as straightforward as possible and that where organisations have delivered the one-off payments to staff already the reimbursement process is equally streamlined to minimise the impact on vital front line services.

"But we know for some organisations and patients today's announcement will have come too late. Community providers say the failure until now to confirm central funding for nationally agreed NHS pay rises has forced some organisations to absorb the additional costs within their own already over-stretched budgets, forcing the scaling back of some services."