Category: nhs pay

Mitie must pay healthcare workers what they are owed or strikes will continue, say UNISON and Unite

Mitie chief executive Phil Bentley must pay healthcare workers in the West Midlands the lump sum they are owed, say UNISON and Unite today (Thursday).

The general secretaries of the UK’s two largest unions have written to Mr Bentley to say strikes* planned for today (Thursday) from 5am and next Friday (8 March) will go ahead unless hospital staff get a one-off £1,655 payment** that other NHS staff have already received.

Cleaners, porters and catering employees are among around 370 workers set to strike again following action which began with Unite in December.

All are contracted by Mitie to work at three hospitals run by The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust and are among the lowest-paid staff in the NHS.

The letter to Mr Bentley says that the £1,655 lump sum was part of the deal agreed by the government and health unions last year following strikes in the NHS. The one-off payment has already been awarded to “hundreds of thousands of NHS employees”.

The letter says many of the staff “worked, alongside their NHS colleagues, throughout the Covid pandemic”, and that Mitie is “treating them unfairly and forcing them into hardship” by withholding the money.

UNISON and Unite say the company claims the extra payment is unaffordable. The letter adds: “If that is the case, then we struggle to see how Mitie could pay the £5.9m remuneration package you (Mr Bentley) received last year, or your annual bonus.

“Mitie can easily afford to pay the lump sum. Its profits were generated from the hard work and dedication of low-paid employees. They (the staff) put their own health at risk and that of their families for no additional reward.”

Mitie is attempting to break the strikes by bussing in staff represented by the Prison Officers’ Association from other NHS sites, which the unions say is “despicable”.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Health staff would rather be back at work than on the picket line. But Mitie has forced them into taking strike action.

“The company says it hasn’t got the money to pay this lump sum. Yet it can find the cash to spend on bringing in strike-breaking workers from sites miles away.

“Mitie must do what’s right and pay up now or the strikes will continue.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is shameful that these vital workers who keep the NHS going are being kicked in the teeth by their employer. Mitie is a multi-million-pound company which announced huge profits last year. It can easily afford to pay them the money they are owed.

“Instead, Mitie has dragged its feet every step of the way and forced some of the lowest-paid workers in the NHS onto the picket line in their fight for fair pay. They will have Unite’s full backing.”

Notes to editors:
– *A picket will in place outside the entrance to Russells Hall Hospital, Pensnett Road/High Street, Dudley from 8am to noon today. Photographs will be available on request.
-? **In June 2023, a deal was agreed for all staff on NHS contracts who are on Agenda for Change pay scales. This included a one-off payment for 2022/23.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
– Unite is the UK and Ireland’s leading union fighting to protect and advance jobs, pay and conditions for members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.

Media contacts:
Ollie Hopkins M: 07939 143195 E: o.hopkins@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
David Carnell M: 07718 666592 E: david.carnell@unitetheunion.org

The article Mitie must pay healthcare workers what they are owed or strikes will continue, say UNISON and Unite first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Mitie must pay healthcare workers what they are owed or strikes will continue, say UNISON and Unite

Mitie chief executive Phil Bentley must pay healthcare workers in the West Midlands the lump sum they are owed, say UNISON and Unite today (Thursday).

The general secretaries of the UK’s two largest unions have written to Mr Bentley to say strikes* planned for today (Thursday) from 5am and next Friday (8 March) will go ahead unless hospital staff get a one-off £1,655 payment** that other NHS staff have already received.

Cleaners, porters and catering employees are among around 370 workers set to strike again following action which began with Unite in December.

All are contracted by Mitie to work at three hospitals run by The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust and are among the lowest-paid staff in the NHS.

The letter to Mr Bentley says that the £1,655 lump sum was part of the deal agreed by the government and health unions last year following strikes in the NHS. The one-off payment has already been awarded to “hundreds of thousands of NHS employees”.

The letter says many of the staff “worked, alongside their NHS colleagues, throughout the Covid pandemic”, and that Mitie is “treating them unfairly and forcing them into hardship” by withholding the money.

UNISON and Unite say the company claims the extra payment is unaffordable. The letter adds: “If that is the case, then we struggle to see how Mitie could pay the £5.9m remuneration package you (Mr Bentley) received last year, or your annual bonus.

“Mitie can easily afford to pay the lump sum. Its profits were generated from the hard work and dedication of low-paid employees. They (the staff) put their own health at risk and that of their families for no additional reward.”

Mitie is attempting to break the strikes by bussing in staff represented by the Prison Officers’ Association from other NHS sites, which the unions say is “despicable”.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Health staff would rather be back at work than on the picket line. But Mitie has forced them into taking strike action.

“The company says it hasn’t got the money to pay this lump sum. Yet it can find the cash to spend on bringing in strike-breaking workers from sites miles away.

“Mitie must do what’s right and pay up now or the strikes will continue.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is shameful that these vital workers who keep the NHS going are being kicked in the teeth by their employer. Mitie is a multi-million-pound company which announced huge profits last year. It can easily afford to pay them the money they are owed.

“Instead, Mitie has dragged its feet every step of the way and forced some of the lowest-paid workers in the NHS onto the picket line in their fight for fair pay. They will have Unite’s full backing.”

Notes to editors:
– *A picket will in place outside the entrance to Russells Hall Hospital, Pensnett Road/High Street, Dudley from 8am to noon today. Photographs will be available on request.
-? **In June 2023, a deal was agreed for all staff on NHS contracts who are on Agenda for Change pay scales. This included a one-off payment for 2022/23.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
– Unite is the UK and Ireland’s leading union fighting to protect and advance jobs, pay and conditions for members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.

Media contacts:
Ollie Hopkins M: 07939 143195 E: o.hopkins@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
David Carnell M: 07718 666592 E: david.carnell@unitetheunion.org

The article Mitie must pay healthcare workers what they are owed or strikes will continue, say UNISON and Unite first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Hundreds of Mitie staff striking today at Dudley Group hospitals

Around 300 of the lowest-paid staff working at hospitals in Dudley will take strike action today (Friday) over their employer’s refusal to pay them a lump sum worth at least £1,655 that has already been given to hundreds of thousands of people employed by the NHS, says UNISON.

The health staff, who work at Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust (DGFT) but are employed by private contractor Mitie, began their 24-hour walkout at 5am. Another strike lasting 24 hours is lined up for next Thursday (29 February).

The workers, who include cleaners, domestics, porters, catering staff and many other important hospital roles, must be treated fairly and handed the money they’re owed, the union says.

In June 2023, a deal was agreed for all staff on NHS contracts who are on Agenda for Change pay scales. This included a one-off payment for 2022/23.

However, Mitie has not honoured this, says UNISON. As a result, its employees have earned far less than their colleagues directly employed by the NHS and doing similar work, the union adds.

Mitie’s claim that the extra payment is unaffordable does not stack up, says UNISON. Last year company boss Phil Bentley reportedly received a remuneration package totalling £5.9 million.

Earlier this month staff voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action following a three-week ballot.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Everyone working in the NHS is part of the same healthcare family and should be paid properly.

“Private contractors should all be honouring their obligation to pay staff what they’re due. It’s time for Mitie and some other firms to make good on these missing payments. That would end this strike in an instant.”

UNISON West Midlands regional organiser Ollie Hopkins said: “Staff care deeply about patients and services. The last thing they want to do is strike, but Mitie has forced them into this situation.

“They have been treated incredibly shabbily. It’s all the more shocking that Mitie is a company making millions in profit each year.

“The chief executive’s annual bonus alone would almost cover this payment for all the Dudley workers. And yet the company says it doesn’t have the money to give some of the lowest-paid staff in the NHS the money they’re due.

“It’s no wonder they’re outraged.”

UNISON steward and Mitie domestic Denise Stevens said: “Mitie can stop the strike action and end the dispute in an instant if managers pay us the lump sum that other NHS colleagues all received.

“None of us wanted to be in the position of taking strike action, but Mitie has left us no choice.

Notes to editors:
– Earlier this week a delegation of the workers, including UNISON stewards, protested and held up banners outside the Shard building in London where Mitie has its headquarters. They also visited Parliament where they met Dudley North MP Marco Longhi, who agreed to write to Mitie, the chief executive of NHS England and health secretary Victora Atkins on their behalf.
– An overwhelming majority of workers (96%) who took part in the ballot voted in favour of strike action. The turnout was 78%.
– A picket line will be outside the main entrance road to Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, today from 8am to 4pm.
– In June 2023, directly employed NHS workers received a lump-sum “non-consolidated bonus” as part of the NHS pay deal. For the lowest paid in the NHS, the lump sum was £1,655.
– Mitie chief executive Phil Bentley is reported to have taken home £5.85m last year. This included his £900,000 salary and £838,000 annual bonus. The company estimates it would cost up to £900,000 to make the payment to staff.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: press@unison.co.uk
Ollie Hopkins M: 07939 143195 E: o.hopkins@unison.co.uk

The article Hundreds of Mitie staff striking today at Dudley Group hospitals first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Hundreds of Mitie staff striking today at Dudley Group hospitals

Around 300 of the lowest-paid staff working at hospitals in Dudley will take strike action today (Friday) over their employer’s refusal to pay them a lump sum worth at least £1,655 that has already been given to hundreds of thousands of people employed by the NHS, says UNISON.

The health staff, who work at Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust (DGFT) but are employed by private contractor Mitie, began their 24-hour walkout at 5am. Another strike lasting 24 hours is lined up for next Thursday (29 February).

The workers, who include cleaners, domestics, porters, catering staff and many other important hospital roles, must be treated fairly and handed the money they’re owed, the union says.

In June 2023, a deal was agreed for all staff on NHS contracts who are on Agenda for Change pay scales. This included a one-off payment for 2022/23.

However, Mitie has not honoured this, says UNISON. As a result, its employees have earned far less than their colleagues directly employed by the NHS and doing similar work, the union adds.

Mitie’s claim that the extra payment is unaffordable does not stack up, says UNISON. Last year company boss Phil Bentley reportedly received a remuneration package totalling £5.9 million.

Earlier this month staff voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action following a three-week ballot.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Everyone working in the NHS is part of the same healthcare family and should be paid properly.

“Private contractors should all be honouring their obligation to pay staff what they’re due. It’s time for Mitie and some other firms to make good on these missing payments. That would end this strike in an instant.”

UNISON West Midlands regional organiser Ollie Hopkins said: “Staff care deeply about patients and services. The last thing they want to do is strike, but Mitie has forced them into this situation.

“They have been treated incredibly shabbily. It’s all the more shocking that Mitie is a company making millions in profit each year.

“The chief executive’s annual bonus alone would almost cover this payment for all the Dudley workers. And yet the company says it doesn’t have the money to give some of the lowest-paid staff in the NHS the money they’re due.

“It’s no wonder they’re outraged.”

UNISON steward and Mitie domestic Denise Stevens said: “Mitie can stop the strike action and end the dispute in an instant if managers pay us the lump sum that other NHS colleagues all received.

“None of us wanted to be in the position of taking strike action, but Mitie has left us no choice.

Notes to editors:
– Earlier this week a delegation of the workers, including UNISON stewards, protested and held up banners outside the Shard building in London where Mitie has its headquarters. They also visited Parliament where they met Dudley North MP Marco Longhi, who agreed to write to Mitie, the chief executive of NHS England and health secretary Victora Atkins on their behalf.
– An overwhelming majority of workers (96%) who took part in the ballot voted in favour of strike action. The turnout was 78%.
– A picket line will be outside the main entrance road to Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, today from 8am to 4pm.
– In June 2023, directly employed NHS workers received a lump-sum “non-consolidated bonus” as part of the NHS pay deal. For the lowest paid in the NHS, the lump sum was £1,655.
– Mitie chief executive Phil Bentley is reported to have taken home £5.85m last year. This included his £900,000 salary and £838,000 annual bonus. The company estimates it would cost up to £900,000 to make the payment to staff.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: press@unison.co.uk
Ollie Hopkins M: 07939 143195 E: o.hopkins@unison.co.uk

The article Hundreds of Mitie staff striking today at Dudley Group hospitals first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Decent NHS pay rise is crucial if both the workforce and the economy are to grow, say health unions

Proper investment in NHS staff is essential for both the UK’s economic success and if there’s to be any hope of filling record staff vacancies, health unions say today (Friday).

A new report, compiled on behalf of 14 unions representing more than a million health workers in England, makes clear rebuilding the NHS workforce will be impossible without the fair, sustained wage rises central to recruiting and hanging on to staff.

The unions also call for action from the government in the 2024/25 pay round to tackle the wage and staffing issues crucial to cutting the treatment backlog and giving patients the quality care they deserve.

The report Supporting UK’s Economic Growth: The Case for NHS Pay is being published today, coinciding with the day on which the NHS pay review body’s initial call for evidence closes. NHS staff are due a pay rise from 1 April, but the review body is already months behind schedule because the government began the process so late, say the unions.

A decent wage increase in this round, backed by a clear strategy on NHS pay recovery, are essential to filling gaping staff shortages, expanding the health workforce and improving economic prosperity the report says.

Then a greater number of patients could be seen and more work done to prevent health deterioration, allowing the thousands currently off sick and awaiting treatment to return to the labour market and stay fit for work.

The unions – representing ambulance staff, nurses, porters, radiographers, clinical support workers, dieticians, podiatrists, physiotherapists and other NHS employees in England – want the government to tackle the declining value of NHS pay, and ensure health workers are fairly paid for the roles they perform.

They say a funding and pay strategy must be put in place to underpin the much-needed workforce plan. Otherwise understaffing will continue, more health workers will leave, patient care suffer and waiting lists soar.

Chair of the NHS group of unions and UNISON acting head of health Helga Pile said: “There’s a clear link between rising waiting lists and the staffing emergency being felt in every part of the NHS in England.

“Investing in pay and improving working conditions are the ways to keep experienced employees in their jobs and attract new recruits. In turn that means patients are more likely to get the care they need and get it more quickly.

“But it also makes economic sense too. When health workers have more money in their pockets, they tend to spend it on their local high streets, supporting local businesses. And if the NHS had more staff, it would be able to treat a larger number of people. Falling sickness rates would enable the wider workforce to grow and economic benefits to flow across the country.”

Secretary of the NHS group of unions and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy assistant director of employment relations Elaine Sparkes said: “NHS staff need an above-inflation pay rise to begin to address the years of cuts that have had such a detrimental effect, especially during the cost-of-living crisis.

“The lack of fair pay has also exacerbated the workforce crisis at a time when the NHS can least afford to be so short of staff.

“An above-inflation pay rise would help recruit and retain the staff the NHS desperately needs. If the government wants to make a dent in the record waiting lists, then ministers must listen to the staff that know the NHS best.”

Notes to editors:
– The document Supporting UK Economic Growth: The Case for NHS Pay 2024 can be viewed here.
– The 14 NHS unions are: British Association of Occupational Therapists, British Dietetic Association, British Orthoptic Society, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Royal College of Podiatry, Federation of Clinical Scientists, GMB, Managers in Partnership, Prison Officers Association, Royal College of Midwives, Royal College of Nursing, Society of Radiographers, UNISON and Unite.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes (UNISON) M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Jon Ryan (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy) M: 07917 091200 E: ryanj@csp.org.uk

The article Decent NHS pay rise is crucial if both the workforce and the economy are to grow, say health unions first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Decent NHS pay rise is crucial if both the workforce and the economy are to grow, say health unions

Proper investment in NHS staff is essential for both the UK’s economic success and if there’s to be any hope of filling record staff vacancies, health unions say today (Friday).

A new report, compiled on behalf of 14 unions representing more than a million health workers in England, makes clear rebuilding the NHS workforce will be impossible without the fair, sustained wage rises central to recruiting and hanging on to staff.

The unions also call for action from the government in the 2024/25 pay round to tackle the wage and staffing issues crucial to cutting the treatment backlog and giving patients the quality care they deserve.

The report Supporting UK’s Economic Growth: The Case for NHS Pay is being published today, coinciding with the day on which the NHS pay review body’s initial call for evidence closes. NHS staff are due a pay rise from 1 April, but the review body is already months behind schedule because the government began the process so late, say the unions.

A decent wage increase in this round, backed by a clear strategy on NHS pay recovery, are essential to filling gaping staff shortages, expanding the health workforce and improving economic prosperity the report says.

Then a greater number of patients could be seen and more work done to prevent health deterioration, allowing the thousands currently off sick and awaiting treatment to return to the labour market and stay fit for work.

The unions – representing ambulance staff, nurses, porters, radiographers, clinical support workers, dieticians, podiatrists, physiotherapists and other NHS employees in England – want the government to tackle the declining value of NHS pay, and ensure health workers are fairly paid for the roles they perform.

They say a funding and pay strategy must be put in place to underpin the much-needed workforce plan. Otherwise understaffing will continue, more health workers will leave, patient care suffer and waiting lists soar.

Chair of the NHS group of unions and UNISON acting head of health Helga Pile said: “There’s a clear link between rising waiting lists and the staffing emergency being felt in every part of the NHS in England.

“Investing in pay and improving working conditions are the ways to keep experienced employees in their jobs and attract new recruits. In turn that means patients are more likely to get the care they need and get it more quickly.

“But it also makes economic sense too. When health workers have more money in their pockets, they tend to spend it on their local high streets, supporting local businesses. And if the NHS had more staff, it would be able to treat a larger number of people. Falling sickness rates would enable the wider workforce to grow and economic benefits to flow across the country.”

Secretary of the NHS group of unions and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy assistant director of employment relations Elaine Sparkes said: “NHS staff need an above-inflation pay rise to begin to address the years of cuts that have had such a detrimental effect, especially during the cost-of-living crisis.

“The lack of fair pay has also exacerbated the workforce crisis at a time when the NHS can least afford to be so short of staff.

“An above-inflation pay rise would help recruit and retain the staff the NHS desperately needs. If the government wants to make a dent in the record waiting lists, then ministers must listen to the staff that know the NHS best.”

Notes to editors:
– The document Supporting UK Economic Growth: The Case for NHS Pay 2024 can be viewed here.
– The 14 NHS unions are: British Association of Occupational Therapists, British Dietetic Association, British Orthoptic Society, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Royal College of Podiatry, Federation of Clinical Scientists, GMB, Managers in Partnership, Prison Officers Association, Royal College of Midwives, Royal College of Nursing, Society of Radiographers, UNISON and Unite.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes (UNISON) M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Jon Ryan (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy) M: 07917 091200 E: ryanj@csp.org.uk

The article Decent NHS pay rise is crucial if both the workforce and the economy are to grow, say health unions first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Put pay right and start to solve the NHS’ many problems

A proper pay rise for NHS staff in England this year is essential if there is to be any hope of filling the huge vacancies hole and stopping waiting lists from spiralling, says UNISON today (Friday).

The union – representing ambulance workers, nurses, cleaners, medical secretaries, occupational therapists, porters and a whole host of other NHS staff – has urged Victoria Atkins to convene pay talks.

UNISON says this would be the best way to agree the wage rise due in April, improve the experience of patients and avoid a repeat of last year’s strike action.

UNISON, which is the biggest union in the NHS, has this week written to the health secretary setting out the case for sustained investment in the workforce.

UNISON has also notified the acting chair of the NHS pay review body (PRB) of its decision to do this rather than submitting evidence. This is because the union says the PRB process takes too long, and is neither sufficiently independent, nor fit for purpose.

Health workers are disappointed by the government’s decision to fall back once again on the lengthy review-body process to set pay, says UNISON. The very fact Victoria Atkins didn’t get the PRB ball rolling until December means staff already know they won’t be getting this year’s wage increase on time, adds the union.

But pay is of real concern. In a recent UNISON survey, over a third (38%) of health workers said they were unable to concentrate at work because they were worrying about their finances.

The cost-of-living crisis has hit working families hard, and health workers are no exception, says UNISON. In the same poll, more than two-thirds (68%) said their rent or mortgage has risen considerably over the past year. And more than half (53%) expect their housing costs to go up significantly in the coming 12 months.

As a result, over a third (35%) of NHS staff told UNISON they had to take on extra shifts to get by, adding to an increased risk of stress and burnout, the union warns.

More worryingly, says UNISON, increased housing costs have already prompted three in ten (31%) to start looking for better-paying jobs outside the NHS, raising fears that staffing shortages could yet worsen.

Vacancy rates remain stubbornly high across every part of the NHS in England, says UNISON. With trusts more than 110,000 staff short, the impact on workload, morale and patient care is huge, adds the union.

UNISON acting head of health Helga Pile said: “There’s a staffing emergency across every part of the NHS in England. There are simply too few health workers to meet increasing demand. That leaves staff stretched ever more thinly as they try desperately to deliver quality care to patients.

“It took many days of strikes to get last year’s pay rise agreed, but since then inflation has failed to fall as far, or as fast, as experts predicted. With the lump sums that helped settle the dispute no longer part of their pay packets, health workers now think they got a raw deal and will expect a better settlement in 2024.

“As it stands, NHS staff on the lowest pay band will be earning just a penny an hour above the minimum wage when it rises in April and their salaries are well short of the real living wage.

“If the government fails to put pay right, the picture looks bleak for the NHS and everyone needing its care. Decent wage increases this year won’t solve all the health service’s problems, but they could help keep experienced employees in their jobs and attract new recruits.

“With more staff at its disposal, the NHS would be in a much better place to get backlogs, waits and delays down. That can only be good news for patients who will be seen and treated more quickly.”

As well as a decent pay rise for 2024/25, UNISON wants to see NHS staff on the correct salary bands, and a push for a shorter working week. While this may not be achievable overnight, a better work-life balance would ease employee stress and burnout, help retain staff and reduce the need for costly agency workers, says UNISON.

And all too often NHS staff are working above their salary bands, it adds. There should be yearly reviews to ensure people are getting the correct rate for the job*. Otherwise, health workers will feel increasingly taken for granted and more likely to leave for workplaces where they’ll be better appreciated, warns UNISON.

Notes to editors:
– The UNISON survey was conducted online last autumn and around 40,000 responses were received from NHS staff in England.
– Put NHS pay right, UNISON’s case for investing in the NHS workforce, can be found here.
– The minimum wage is rising to £11.44 an hour in April. Staff on the bottom of Agenda for Change band 2 are currently on an hourly rate of £11.45. The real living wage is £12 an hour (£13.15 in London).
– *Healthcare assistants tend to be on band 2 but regularly undertake complex tasks more in line with the higher band 3 salary. UNISON campaigns have already seen thousands of healthcare assistants regraded on to higher salaries and many others are currently pushing for their pay to be similarly corrected.
– In Northern Ireland, health unions are about to enter intensive talks over the 2023/24 pay rise, with the PRB expected to also make recommendations for their pay for 2024/25. In Wales, the health minister only issued a PRB remit on 30 January and UNISON expects to set out a similar case for investment in the NHS workforce there. In Scotland, unions have submitted a pay claim and hope talks will start soon.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Put pay right and start to solve the NHS’ many problems first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Put pay right and start to solve the NHS’ many problems

A proper pay rise for NHS staff in England this year is essential if there is to be any hope of filling the huge vacancies hole and stopping waiting lists from spiralling, says UNISON today (Friday).

The union – representing ambulance workers, nurses, cleaners, medical secretaries, occupational therapists, porters and a whole host of other NHS staff – has urged Victoria Atkins to convene pay talks.

UNISON says this would be the best way to agree the wage rise due in April, improve the experience of patients and avoid a repeat of last year’s strike action.

UNISON, which is the biggest union in the NHS, has this week written to the health secretary setting out the case for sustained investment in the workforce.

UNISON has also notified the acting chair of the NHS pay review body (PRB) of its decision to do this rather than submitting evidence. This is because the union says the PRB process takes too long, and is neither sufficiently independent, nor fit for purpose.

Health workers are disappointed by the government’s decision to fall back once again on the lengthy review-body process to set pay, says UNISON. The very fact Victoria Atkins didn’t get the PRB ball rolling until December means staff already know they won’t be getting this year’s wage increase on time, adds the union.

But pay is of real concern. In a recent UNISON survey, over a third (38%) of health workers said they were unable to concentrate at work because they were worrying about their finances.

The cost-of-living crisis has hit working families hard, and health workers are no exception, says UNISON. In the same poll, more than two-thirds (68%) said their rent or mortgage has risen considerably over the past year. And more than half (53%) expect their housing costs to go up significantly in the coming 12 months.

As a result, over a third (35%) of NHS staff told UNISON they had to take on extra shifts to get by, adding to an increased risk of stress and burnout, the union warns.

More worryingly, says UNISON, increased housing costs have already prompted three in ten (31%) to start looking for better-paying jobs outside the NHS, raising fears that staffing shortages could yet worsen.

Vacancy rates remain stubbornly high across every part of the NHS in England, says UNISON. With trusts more than 110,000 staff short, the impact on workload, morale and patient care is huge, adds the union.

UNISON acting head of health Helga Pile said: “There’s a staffing emergency across every part of the NHS in England. There are simply too few health workers to meet increasing demand. That leaves staff stretched ever more thinly as they try desperately to deliver quality care to patients.

“It took many days of strikes to get last year’s pay rise agreed, but since then inflation has failed to fall as far, or as fast, as experts predicted. With the lump sums that helped settle the dispute no longer part of their pay packets, health workers now think they got a raw deal and will expect a better settlement in 2024.

“As it stands, NHS staff on the lowest pay band will be earning just a penny an hour above the minimum wage when it rises in April and their salaries are well short of the real living wage.

“If the government fails to put pay right, the picture looks bleak for the NHS and everyone needing its care. Decent wage increases this year won’t solve all the health service’s problems, but they could help keep experienced employees in their jobs and attract new recruits.

“With more staff at its disposal, the NHS would be in a much better place to get backlogs, waits and delays down. That can only be good news for patients who will be seen and treated more quickly.”

As well as a decent pay rise for 2024/25, UNISON wants to see NHS staff on the correct salary bands, and a push for a shorter working week. While this may not be achievable overnight, a better work-life balance would ease employee stress and burnout, help retain staff and reduce the need for costly agency workers, says UNISON.

And all too often NHS staff are working above their salary bands, it adds. There should be yearly reviews to ensure people are getting the correct rate for the job*. Otherwise, health workers will feel increasingly taken for granted and more likely to leave for workplaces where they’ll be better appreciated, warns UNISON.

Notes to editors:
– The UNISON survey was conducted online last autumn and around 40,000 responses were received from NHS staff in England.
– Put NHS pay right, UNISON’s case for investing in the NHS workforce, can be found here.
– The minimum wage is rising to £11.44 an hour in April. Staff on the bottom of Agenda for Change band 2 are currently on an hourly rate of £11.45. The real living wage is £12 an hour (£13.15 in London).
– *Healthcare assistants tend to be on band 2 but regularly undertake complex tasks more in line with the higher band 3 salary. UNISON campaigns have already seen thousands of healthcare assistants regraded on to higher salaries and many others are currently pushing for their pay to be similarly corrected.
– In Northern Ireland, health unions are about to enter intensive talks over the 2023/24 pay rise, with the PRB expected to also make recommendations for their pay for 2024/25. In Wales, the health minister only issued a PRB remit on 30 January and UNISON expects to set out a similar case for investment in the NHS workforce there. In Scotland, unions have submitted a pay claim and hope talks will start soon.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Put pay right and start to solve the NHS’ many problems first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Pay is key to fixing staffing crisis and getting NHS waiting lists down

Commenting on the latest NHS England statistics regarding waiting lists and delays to be seen in A&E published today (Thursday), UNISON acting head of health Helga Pile said:

“There may have been a slight dip in the number of people awaiting treatment, but the backlog is still enormous.

“Having to wait months to be seen risks conditions worsening. Problems getting GP appointments mean many people have no option but to call 999 and go to A&E, putting even more pressure on services.

“Staff vacancies in the NHS are at critical levels. If the prime minister wants to meet his pledge, he must act over pay.

“A decent wage rise for health workers this year would help persuade experienced staff not to quit and encourage new recruits to join them. 

“Convening pay talks now so nurses, paramedics, cleaners, healthcare assistants and other NHS staff get their April pay rise on time would start to fill the NHS vacancies hole and ensure patients get seen much sooner.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in the NHS, education, local government, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Dan Ashley M: 07908 672893 E: d.ashley@unison.co.uk

The article Pay is key to fixing staffing crisis and getting NHS waiting lists down first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Pay is key to fixing staffing crisis and getting NHS waiting lists down

Commenting on the latest NHS England statistics regarding waiting lists and delays to be seen in A&E published today (Thursday), UNISON acting head of health Helga Pile said:

“There may have been a slight dip in the number of people awaiting treatment, but the backlog is still enormous.

“Having to wait months to be seen risks conditions worsening. Problems getting GP appointments mean many people have no option but to call 999 and go to A&E, putting even more pressure on services.

“Staff vacancies in the NHS are at critical levels. If the prime minister wants to meet his pledge, he must act over pay.

“A decent wage rise for health workers this year would help persuade experienced staff not to quit and encourage new recruits to join them. 

“Convening pay talks now so nurses, paramedics, cleaners, healthcare assistants and other NHS staff get their April pay rise on time would start to fill the NHS vacancies hole and ensure patients get seen much sooner.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in the NHS, education, local government, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Dan Ashley M: 07908 672893 E: d.ashley@unison.co.uk

The article Pay is key to fixing staffing crisis and getting NHS waiting lists down first appeared on the UNISON National site.