Nuffield Health has pledged to ensure all its staff will earn at least the new National Living Wage from next month, not just over-25s as the new law requires.

Coming into effect from April 1, chancellor George Osborne’s new National Living Wage will see the starting hourly rate for over-25s jump to £7.20 (up from the current minimum wage of £6.70), gradually rising to £9 an hour by 2020.

Concerns have been expressed in the leisure sector that the move will encourage employers to pass over older candidates as they will become more expensive than under-25s – who are entitled to between £3.87 and £6.70 per hour, depending on their age.

However, Nuffield Health has moved to level the playing field by pledging the new wage floor for all employees across the organisation’s hospitals, corporate and wellbeing facilities. The new £7.20 hourly wage entitlement will not be limited by length of service or performance.

Hannah McWeeney, a 23-year-old lifeguard at Nuffield Health Ilford Fitness & Wellbeing Gym, said: “It is great that the organisation has taken the decision to offer this to all staff, leading the way in the fitness industry.

“This will make a real difference to me and has only motivated me further to deliver an excellent service in an industry that I am passionate about.”