- 13 July 2021
- 3 min read
Does A New Health Secretary Alter The Odds For An NHS Pay Rise?
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Does A New Health Secretary Alter The Odds For An NHS Pay Rise?The new Health Secretary faces the unenviable task of sorting out the issue of NHS pay rises post-pandemic.
A letter, signed by the heads of the RCN, UNISON, and the Royal College of Midwives, on behalf of 14 unions representing more than a million NHS staff across England, Northern Ireland and Wales, has been sent to the new Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
The letter says NHS staff are exhausted and suggests a proper pay rise is vital for staff morale and to hopefully persuade some of those contemplating leaving the NHS to reconsider.
How successful do you think the arguments for a pay rise will be? Will the new Health Secretary be able to find a mutually beneficial compromise? Comment 💬 Like ❤️ Reply 🙂 below.
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NHS Pay Calculator“A significant pay rise would help health workers feel valued and let them know their efforts during the pandemic have not gone unnoticed,” the unions argued in the letter.
They continued: “With almost five million treatments on its ‘to do’ list, the NHS needs a decent pay rise to prevent staff shortages becoming more acute as health workers leave for better paid roles elsewhere.”
Pat Cullen, acting general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, said: “With the unrelenting pressure on the nursing workforce, their role in protecting the nation during the pandemic and delivering the vaccination programme…Javid’s immediate priority must be tackling the shortage of nursing staff and paying them fairly for their highly-skilled and safety-critical work,”
Do you agree with the Unions’ position? Will a pay rise make a tangible difference to staff recruitment and retention levels?Health unions have requested a meeting with Sajid Javid as a matter of urgency to discuss how a pay rise could assist the NHS to recover after the pandemic.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said health service leaders would welcome the fact that Mr Javid, having been Chancellor, “should know the Treasury inside out”.
“It is imperative that Sajid Javid uses these connections to ensure the NHS gets the investment it desperately needs, alongside delivering long-term reform for social care,” he added.
Will Sajid Javid’s familiarity, both professionally with the inner workings of the Treasury and personally with the current Chancellor be of use in the NHS getting its pay rise approved?The RCN has argued for a 12.5% pay increase for NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts that applies equally to all bands.
In March the Dept of Health and Social Care proposed a 1% pay rise.
The government in Scotland agreed a separate 4% pay rise deal in May for staff on Agenda for Change contracts in that country.
The NHS Pay Review Body had been expected to file its report by early May 2021. This deadline was missed, but it is understood that the Review Body has now submitted its findings to the Health Secretary for his consideration.
How strong do you think the case is for a pay rise for the NHS when you compare the relative job security and remuneration of public sector employment with the private sector, which will have to pay for any increase in NHS staffing costs, when it has borne the brunt of the economic damage inflicted by lockdown policies?
Please let us know what you think in the comments, and please Like the article if you found it interesting.
Thanks.
About this contributor
Nurses.co.uk Founder
I believe people working in healthcare should be able to choose to enjoy work. That is, choose an employer who reflects their values and provides them with a sustainable career. This leads to better patient care, higher retention rates and happier working lives in this most important employment sector.
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Log In Subscribe to commentThomas Boyle
Thomas Boyle
3 years agoThey may have changed Nick Hancock for Sajid Javed but it is still the same party in charge. He appears ... read more
They may have changed Nick Hancock for Sajid Javed but it is still the same party in charge. He appears a more dynamic figure and may be more competent, only time will tell. But as I said I would not hold my breath waiting for a change on the pay
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So, now we have the news about the 3% rise, how do you feel?
The 1 % rise was an insult, the 3 % is little better. This is just a continuation of the 10 years of austerity under the tories
Ana Maria Mihaiescu
Ana Maria Mihaiescu
3 years agoI think NHS nurses should be paid better for the effort that they make!I work for private because the payment ... read more
I think NHS nurses should be paid better for the effort that they make!I work for private because the payment is better and less stressful. NHS nurses are facing lots of work in stressful times, Iff students are not present on wards the job will be impossible to archive and during pandemic all nurses (private and Nhs) worked really hard with vulnerable patients.
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John Fenn
John Fenn
3 years agoIf the government that was not on the front line and not even all working together, how do they get ... read more
If the government that was not on the front line and not even all working together, how do they get a 5% apparently pay rise but the guys that were at the front end dealing with seriously poorly people and the deaths only get 1%. Goes to show the government really do not care about Nurses. Look after number one seems to be their moto.
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How do you feel about the 3% rise John?
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