nhs pay – Page 9 – Union Newswire

New prime minister must improve pay if he wants a stronger NHS

Responding to the speech by new prime minister Rishi Sunak as he arrived at Downing Street today (Tuesday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“No one can be under any illusion about the challenges that lie ahead. The previous prime minister has certainly made the situation a whole lot worse.

“If Rishi Sunak really wants the NHS and other public services to become stronger, they must have the resources needed to tackle the growing workforce crises.

“That starts with giving health employees a second pay rise to stop experienced staff from heading for the door. Unless the government acts soon, a strike across the NHS looks increasingly likely this winter.”

Notes to editors:
– 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: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk

The article New prime minister must improve pay if he wants a stronger NHS first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Government must act urgently on NHS pay to bring record waiting times down

Commenting on new figures published today (Thursday) showing waiting lists for routine treatment in England have hit a new record high, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:

“Now’s not the time to be sick or injured. Under this government’s watch, the NHS is experiencing the worst crisis in its 74-year history.

“Health service managers are increasingly frustrated that there’s nothing they can do to slow the tide of staff heading to the doors.

“As a matter of urgency, the government must rethink its inadequate pay award and top it up to prevent more experienced staff leaving for better paid jobs.

“Only then will there be any hope of waiting lists coming down and people getting the treatment and care they deserve.”

Notes to editors:
– The ballot of NHS staff in England and Wales opens on 27 October and closes on 25 November. The Northern Ireland strike ballot opens the same day but closes on 18 November. A ballot of health staff in Scotland began on Monday (3 October) and continues until 31 October. In all over 400,000 NHS staff will be asked to vote.
– 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.

The article Government must act urgently on NHS pay to bring record waiting times down first appeared on the UNISON National site.

It’s now up to the government to avoid strikes in NHS by putting pay right, says UNISON

Letters advising more than two hundred NHS employers across England that health staff, including paramedics, theatre staff, occupational therapists, porters and nurses, are to be balloted for strike action have been sent, says UNISON.

The union has also written to health secretary Therese Coffey urging her to meet and negotiate an improved pay award to avert action that could disrupt NHS services this winter.

UNISON has initiated a formal dispute after most NHS workers were given just a £1,400 wage rise for this year, falling way short of the inflation-busting increase health unions wanted.

Strike ballots for England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to begin on 27 October and the union says this will “signal to the government and employers the strength of feeling behind UNISON’s key pay demands”.

UNISON says it is not too late for the government to think again and put pay right, an important first step in tackling the chronic staff shortages across the NHS.

The letter to the health secretary says: “Taking industrial action is a very serious move. NHS staff are only too aware that reducing workforce capacity, even for a short time, ?will have an impact on the delivery of services.

“But having exhausted other routes to prompt the government into action, many are concluding that withdrawing their labour this winter is the best way to help patients.”

The letter continues: “The tightening labour market means NHS staff have many more options for jobs with better pay and less ?stressful working conditions.

“The record and mounting treatment backlog, alongside further Covid surges, flu and other pressures expected to hit hard this winter, mean the damaging impact of this workforce crisis ?can only escalate.”

Commenting on the prospect of strike action across the NHS, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “The backlog won’t reduce, nor waiting times and delays lessen unless the NHS can keep hold of its experienced employees and attract new people.

“A proper pay rise would help the NHS start tackling the growing staffing shortages hampering its ability to cut waiting lists and reduce ambulance delays.

“But disruption isn’t inevitable. Ministers could come up with a decent wage increase and a proper workforce plan. The ball is sitting in the government’s court.”

Notes to editors:
– The ballot of NHS staff in England and Wales opens on 27 October and closes on 25 November. The Northern Ireland strike ballot opens the same day but closes on 18 November. A ballot of health staff in Scotland began on Monday (3 October) and continues until 31 October. In all over 400,000 NHS staff will be asked to vote.
– NHS staff planning to vote yes in the UNISON strike ballot include:

Eddie, 57, who has been working in the ambulance service for 36 years. He says: “The cost-of-living crisis is worrying us all. Bills have done nothing but go up. The fact that mortgages are rising will push many over the edge. I’ve not had a decent pay rise for more than 10 years, even the basics are becoming unaffordable. People are leaving but demand on the service is unprecedented. This is why I’m prepared to strike for better pay in the NHS.”
Leanne, 39, is an occupational therapist assistant practitioner. She has worked in the NHS for 21 years and is planning to vote yes in the strike ballot. She says: “I’m dreading the next energy bill. The direct debit has already doubled to more than £200 a month. We’ve not put the heating on yet and won’t do until we really have to. We’ve bought second-hand blankets to keep warm. I’ve had enough of worrying about how I’m going to afford food for my family and am prepared to stand up for better pay. Without the staff the NHS is nothing. Patients need us to be up for the job. But for this to happen we need and deserve decent pay.”
Gamu, 40, is a senior nurse and is dreading the coming months. She’s a single mum of three and was already struggling to make ends meet before the current crisis. Gamu’s had no choice but to go to food banks. She says: “Pay in the NHS has to improve. Staff deserve better for the work they do. I will be voting for strike action when the ballot comes because our voices need to be heard. Things must change for the sake of patients, the NHS and its staff. Our pay must reflect the work we do and the risks we take every day.”

– 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.

The article It’s now up to the government to avoid strikes in NHS by putting pay right, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Waiting times won’t reduce without fixing workforce issues, says UNISON

Commenting on new figures showing record waiting times for NHS treatment in England, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said today (Thursday):

“If the new Prime Minister’s serious about tackling problems in the NHS, that must start with a serious plan to keep hold of existing staff.

“Services cannot run themselves. Without a way to persuade exhausted employees to stay and new people to join, the outlook is bleak for anyone needing the NHS.

“Committing to increase health pay ?above inflation is now critical. Without that, waits and delays ?are likely to get a whole lot worse.”

The article Waiting times won’t reduce without fixing workforce issues, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Pledge Yes for the NHS

UNISON has launched the next stage of its NHS pay campaign, which is urging members to Pledge Yes for the NHS.

The campaign follows the government’s imposition of a £1,400 pay increase on NHS workers in England.

UNISON says the award is nowhere near enough to keep pace with rising prices, is nowhere near what’s needed to improve staffing and protect patient care, and will only worsen the current NHS staffing crisis.

Since the pay announcement on 19 July, the government has refused to negotiate with unions. As a result, UNISON’s health service group executive agreed that the only effective way to challenge the pay award is through a formal industrial action ballot which will open in late October.

In the meantime, the union is encouraging its NHS members to get active, visit the website and ‘pledge yes’ to voting for industrial action in October.

Pledge Yes here

Speaking of the campaign, UNISON’s head of health Sara Gorton said: “It is a challenge, but now is the time to take this on. We’re in the biggest cost of living and NHS staffing crisis in history.

“We’ve seen other parts of UNISON, and other unions across our movement, beat anti-trade union laws and deliver effective action. We can too – with hard work and the backing of our members, this is a fight we can win.”

Share the campaign video

The article Pledge Yes for the NHS first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Government must end NHS despair by fixing workforce problems

Commenting on new figures from NHS England published today (Thursday) showing record waiting times for ambulance responses and in A&E departments, UNISON deputy head of health Helga Pile said:

“The problems affecting the NHS go from bad to worse. It’s no wonder its staff are in such a state of deep despair.

“The government must stop watching from the side lines as too few health workers struggle to deliver for patients in the face of unprecedented demand.

“A solution to the staffing crisis, which lies at the heart of the worsening statistics, is long overdue. That must start with a rethink on pay so the many staff on the brink of quitting are persuaded to stay. If they don’t, the consequences for care are unthinkable.”

Notes to editors?:
– 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.

The article Government must end NHS despair by fixing workforce problems first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Delayed, disappointing pay rise will leave staff considering their futures, say health unions

Health unions representing more than a million NHS staff in England have ?reacted with dismay to the NHS pay rise of £1,400 announced today (Tuesday) by the government.

UNISON head of health and chair of the ?NHS group of unions Sara Gorton said: “This is nowhere ?near what’s needed to save the NHS.

“Demoralised ?and depleted health workers needed to know that ministers are serious about solving the staffing crisis and investing in the future. The way to do that was through a significant pay award.

“With the pandemic barely behind us and the growing cost-of-living catastrophe, NHS staff, their bank accounts ?and health services are all running on empty.

“The government’s shown it’s prepared to sit by and watch waiting lists grow, ambulance call times ?lengthen and patient suffering increase.

“Many will be seriously considering industrial action after this pitiful increase and a majority of the public will be behind them.

?”Ministers can’t continue to allow wages to fall and expect staff still ?to be there. The simple formula for recruiting and retaining enough staff to tackle the treatment backlog ?and avoiding a damaging dispute is to ensure NHS workers have a decent pay rise. ?This isn’t it.”

Assistant director at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and secretary of the ?NHS group of unions Elaine Sparkes said: “NHS workers have made it clear that a pay award like this is nowhere near enough in the current climate, being substantially less than the current and predicted level of inflation.

“We’ve told the government that – as have tens of thousands of people who took to the streets last month demanding a fair deal for workers.

“But still it presses on with an award that will cut the real value of take home pay for ?health staff and potentially put patient care at risk as the workforce crisis in the NHS deepens.

“Health unions will now consult members on what action they wish to take to ensure the extraordinary efforts of NHS staff are fairly rewarded.”

Notes to editors:
– The 13 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, Society of Radiographers, UNISON and Unite.
– Health workers were due a pay rise on 1 April 2022 after their previous one-year deal expired. This award is for NHS staff in England.
– The health unions had called for an above-inflation pay rise in their submission to the NHS pay review body. The government had proposed a 3% increase.
– All NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts (NHS terms and conditions) in England will get a consolidated pay rise of £1,400. This package amounts to a 4.75% increase to the NHS Agenda For Change pay bill.

The article Delayed, disappointing pay rise will leave staff considering their futures, say health unions first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Public wants government to deliver an above-inflation wage rise for NHS staff, poll shows

More than half (55%) the public believe that an above-inflation pay rise for NHS staff of more than 9% would be a fair increase, according to a Savanta ComRes poll published today (Monday).

The research on behalf of 13 of the UK’s health unions – between them representing around a million NHS staff – shows this compares with just over a quarter (28%) of people who say a below-inflation rise would be fair. Seven in ten (69%) back a wage increase of more than 5%.

Almost three in five (58%) UK adults believe health workers would be justified in taking industrial action if the government pay award in England is below inflation, according to the findings.

This compares with 29% of people who say NHS staff would not have grounds for taking strike action if there is a below-inflation pay award.

The health unions believe the results show people want the Prime Minister to commit to a significant wage increase for all healthcare staff including nurses, physiotherapists, radiographers, midwives, cleaners, porters, paramedics, dieticians and administrators as living costs soar.

The survey of more than 2,000 people shows the vast majority agree fair wages are crucial in tackling the NHS staffing crisis, which is a major factor in growing waiting lists, ambulance delays and patient care overall.

More than four in five (85%) adults agree that decent pay is essential to health workers staying in the NHS and to patient care improving.

A similar proportion also agree that the government should be doing more to stop health staff leaving the NHS (84%) – and that waiting lists will grow, and delays lengthen – without government action on NHS staffing (84%). More than four in five (83%) agree resolving staffing problems should be the top NHS priority for the government.

UNISON head of health and chair of the NHS group of unions Sara Gorton said: “The prime-ministerial merry-go-round and government delays shouldn’t stop a wage rise for staff. Health workers struggling to pay bills have been waiting months for the increase they should have received back in the spring.

“The public clearly supports an above-inflation pay rise across the NHS. People say they would also be behind NHS staff should they opt for strike action if a decent increase isn’t forthcoming. Ministers must act now rather than stumble into a dispute no-one wants to see.

“The government must find the money needed or risk worsening the current staffing crisis and ?lengthening test and treatment waits for patients.”

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy assistant director and secretary of the NHS group of unions Elaine Sparkes said: “The NHS has a workforce crisis, and it is unthinkable that the government could be considering making this worse through a pay rise that falls far below inflation.

“That would cause further staff to leave and place ever-greater strain on those who remain, while increasing waiting times for patients.

“The government must step up with an above-inflation pay rise that helps recruit, and most importantly retain, the workforce patients desperately need.”

Notes to editors:
– The poll was carried out by Savanta ComRes who surveyed 2,073 UK adults between 1 and 3 July 2022. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all UK adults. Savanta ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Full tables are available here.
– Case studies (names have been changed):
Sarah, an NHS community phlebotomist in the North West, said: “This is the best job I’ve ever had but I can’t afford to stay. Fuel costs have risen at least a third. I’ve had to choose to spend on fuel for work instead of driving to visit my disabled parents. It’s a terrible decision to make but I have to keep earning. I may have to return to bank work in A&E because I’d only be paying parking charges. My job involves doing blood tests that determine what drugs people with cancer and other life-threatening conditions should be taking. Patients will suffer because the NHS won’t be able to retain staff.”
Louise, a healthcare assistant in Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “I’m paid just above the minimum wage after 21 years in the NHS. I’m at the top of my pay band so can’t earn more unless there’s a wage rise. My monthly shop has doubled in cost, and energy bills are the highest ever. Yet my salary isn’t keeping up. I work day and night shifts in a labour ward and am now on anti-depressants to get through the long hours. I’ve been thinking about retirement but can’t afford to. I’ll have to work until I drop.”
James, a care support worker in the West Midlands, said: “Childcare costs are so unaffordable that my wife does nights on an acute ward while I work days in mental health care. We rely on her unsocial hours payments to make ends meet and had to change our car for a smaller one to reduce petrol costs. We think about everything we buy despite both having jobs. Pay hasn’t progressed enough to ensure we can afford to live. I sometimes wonder if I’d be better off stacking supermarket shelves.”
– Health workers were due a pay rise at the beginning of April but are still waiting. The government’s evidence to the NHS pay review body (PRB) proposed a ?maximum pay rise of 3% this year for health workers in England. The Prime Minister has not yet disclosed the PRB recommendations. Unions are hoping there will be an announcement before Parliament breaks up for its summer recess next week.
– The 13 NHS unions ?representing staff on Agenda for Change terms ?who commissioned the polling are: British Association of Occupational Therapists, British Dietetic Association, British Orthoptic Society, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, College of Podiatry, Federation of Clinical Scientists, GMB, Managers in Partnership, Prison Officers Association, Royal College of Midwives, Society of Radiographers, UNISON, and Unite.

The article Public wants government to deliver an above-inflation wage rise for NHS staff, poll shows first appeared on the UNISON National site.

HSGE will reconvene if NHS pay outcome is delayed

In the light of the current political chaos, UNISON’s health service group executive has agreed to step up calls for the Westminster government to release its decision on NHS pay and publish the PRB...