3% rise for NHS workers , is it enough?

[thecatmother]

With shame I admit, that I have hardly given a thought to how hard our NHS workers have it, or how little they earned. Last couple of years have really put it into perspective for me, pandemic and personal circumstances.
This news just popped on my phone screen, 3% is pitiful.

In comparison, I have a cousin who settled in the US and is a nurse in A&E(City hospital, so not private) and her salary is 83$k per year. And she lives a very comfortable life, compared perhaps to upper middle class here.
We celebrate our NHS and, on our side,we pay our taxes, so why is it only 3%?

Well it's better than the 1% they originally offered us. The doctor's were talking about striking, I think the wanted more than this so, will be interesting to see how this pans out.

How can we debate without knowing what on previously and how this corresponds with national average?

It's pathetic

But how can we debate without knowing what already on and how compares with national average?

And not all NHs workers are equal

The specialist consultant
The health care assistant

@Rupertpenrysmistress

Well it's better than the 1% they originally offered us. The doctor's were talking about striking, I think the wanted more than this so, will be interesting to see how this pans out.

I'm sorry to learn that. 1% is quite insulting when you think of sacrifices many had to make (not seeing their families, isolating, and generally being the only ones available).

Not every NHS worker was flat out during Covid - many departments had no work at all. 3% is a great deal more than many got this year!

I don't think it includes junior doctors, I don't know why as they are the ones bearing the brunt in the covid wards.

@Marmitemarinaded

And not all NHs workers are equal

The specialist consultant
The health care assistant

Indeed, merit would be a good idea! The front line nurse should be financially rewarded over a very comfortably paid plastic surgeon consultant who no longer performs surgery.

I'm not denying NHS workers have worked bloody hard and deserve a lot of recognition for this but 3% is pretty good in the economic climate we are in and a lot of other trades who have also had immense pressure on them probably won't even receive that. I don't think it's enough though and perhaps they could come up with a deal to stretch a decent pay rise out over 3 years, 3% a year for example. It's a shame people don't get paid what they deserve for the jobs they do, the staff at my child's nursery look after the most precious thing in the world to me for minimum wage.

* Indeed, merit would be a good idea! The front line nurse should be financially rewarded over a very comfortably paid plastic surgeon consultant who no longer performs surgery.*

The ignorance of this post

That nhs plastic surgeon performs incredible work on burns victims, scarring, injuries.

The debate is so…. Crude

Not all nhs workers were flat out
How does current pay compare with private sector health care worker
And the “merit” argument is just…. Childish

And most consultants
My boss included
Got well and truly stuck in during covid
They had to

Although I think NHS pay needs to be reassessed to make up for the real terms pay cut over the last decade or so, in the current economic climate I’m happy with 3%. I just wish it could have been offered in the first place. It has been, and continues to be, a very difficult time for a lot of us in the NHS and the initial 1% was like a slap in the face.

@Marmitemarinaded

* Indeed, merit would be a good idea! The front line nurse should be financially rewarded over a very comfortably paid plastic surgeon consultant who no longer performs surgery.*

The ignorance of this post

That nhs plastic surgeon performs incredible work on burns victims, scarring, injuries.

Please note : those who no longer perform surgery. I meant by that a consultant, who mostly does esthetic work. No offence meant by my post. Please accept my apologies, if I triggered you.

Insulting

As is the 'it depends' argument.

When there has been a pay freeze for years most public service employees are at the end of any goodwill they may have had. More work, more responsibility for effectively less money.

NHS workers have never had anything more than that in the 10 years i worked for them. And we were always flat out busy, always looking after ridiculously sick people, always short staffed.

@Marmitemarinaded

And most consultants My boss included Got well and truly stuck in during covid They had to

I think I touched a nerve with you. My point was, is 3% enough?

Nope.
Also it's 1.5% on base salary and 1.5% as a one off bonus, as I understand it, so, erm, it's not a 3% increase, really, is it?

Forget about merit, think about recruitment and retention. The pandemic isn't over. The backlog is enormous. Winter is yet to kick in, yet they're seeing winter level cases of respiratory cases etc, plus, yup, still covid.

Personally, if I were looking at a repeat of next year, but worse, I'd be thinking 'fuck this for a game of soldiers'. I wouldn't be giving a crap about a clap.

* think I touched a nerve with you. My point was, is 3% enough?*

But how you say “enough” without knowing what is the current situation and how compares with private sector Health care workers?

I had plenty of sympathy for the NHS staff when they were told they would only get 1% however the moment they started demanding a 15% payrise (their petition is still going as "3% isn't good enough ") they completely lost my support as a 15% across the board payrise for all nhs staff is not only unfeasible but leaves a nasty taste in the mouth especially when linked to the covid pandemic

In Scotland we have got an average 4%. For me it was actually 5.4% as they gave everyone across the lower bands (1-4) the same uplift £££ wise.

Compared to staff that have been there for a lot longer than me i am happy as i came from a lower paid job.
In saying that i totally get why ppl say we dont get paid enough for the job we do.

It's better than the original but it's not enough.

Inflation this year is 3.7%, so 3% pay rise is effectively a pay cut in real terms.