Should nurses get a significant pay rise after Corona

[SandwhichGenerationGal]

I have been a nurse for 42 years. Now semi retired (still do the odd shift). I have never earned enough to buy my own house and have struggled financially due to low pay. I have however, loved every minute of my job even though it has taken its toll physically, socially and psychologically.
Nurses have always been undervalued by government and their pay reflects this. Government have banked on the fact that they will not strike.
Nurses are the backbone of the NHS.
We will not get through the Corona Virus without them.
Isn’t it time to recognise this fact and financially reward nurses accordingly.
Of course everybody plays an important part in the NHS and I am certainly not minimising the efforts of others but without nurses there would not be an NHS.
Operations couldn’t happen, intensive care couldn’t function, A&E couldn’t function, patients on general wards would not be bathed, dressed, fed, lifted, taken to the toilet or have their bums washed.
It’s not just general nurses of course. Other specialities including mental health nurses are also undervalued and underpaid.

Once this is all over we are all going to have to pay more to reduce debt and to get the NHS back on its feet. I don't have a lot of money but I will happily pay more tax and NI. I do think we should be paying our NHS staff more and carers and other public service workers.

After this recession compromises are going to be made but this time may I suggest that it's those at the top that pay more and those big corporations like Amazon that doesn't pay tax. No more austerity for those at the bottom.

It seems like a good time to re-evaluate priorities.

We have just received a pay rise, although really it didn't over the cost of inflatation from the last pay rise. Most bands are a few K better off. It didn't go far enough, which is a shame because it will be years until pay is reviewed again.

At 22 it's great money. At 30 with kids and nursery fees it's hard to make ends meet. To posters who claim that with benefits it's a better deal than the private sector, I don't think you can underestimate the amount of personal responsibility and angst that the job comes with. Then there's the routine abuse and assaults, and heaps of unpaid overtime.

We won't get a payrise. PPs are right, there will be a recession. A gesture would be nice though, perhaps some vouchers for a holiday with an ailing travel firm?

Where’s the money tree???

We dont need a money tree, it's a matter of priority. I would bloody well hope after this that a properly funded NHS would be top of everyone's priority list.

but don't forget what one of our greatest PMs reminded everyone, OP. There's no such thing as a magic money tree, OP. Until there is one.

I expect there'll be some token for political purposes for the drs and nurses who survive (for example, I see young, previously healthy ENT consultants in ITU already) then get ready for austerity round 2. I expect those will wealth/assets and who work in the city/high-end financial services will secure significant increases in wealth like austerity round 1.

Yes!

Yes. 100%

If people want a government who will prioritise the NHS when this is over then they need to vote for one. Certainly no one voted for that at the last election, because people don’t care unless it immediately affects them.

Should they get a payrise? Yes. Will they, from this government? Not a chance. They’ve just put in measures to prop up private enterprise, and this will be used as the reason for even deeper cuts than before for as long as they are in power.

Unfortunately, health care and nurses have been on their knees for a long time, we have been facing winter crisises that run from September to May, bed shortages and overvisited a&e, mental health services scaled back to the bone. This is just another crisis to add the the list, the difference is the public have finally noticed what we do and giving us some credit. We are finally being heard. We need reimbursing for the years of pay freeze and below inflation pay increases.

The same goes for the teachers who are looking after our children so we can do our job. They have always done it, and they need acknowledgement for the fact they have always been there for us. It’s amazing how many nurses say “it will get easier once the kids are at school”.

Yes, lets all have a pay rise when we're plunged in to a recession, paying of the billions of debt that this will have plunged us into, why not?

Personally, if it's any salaries - sorry, remuneration not salaries, because I think most are on basic hourly minimum pay, and not paid for travel between clients, it would be care workers, generally paid far less than nurses.

I feel like they will definitely deserve one, but will the government find money in the budget after all the financial measures put in place for job losses?

The sad thing is that people in the NHS and teachers are some of the few professions that will most likely still have jobs to go back to "on the other side" but nhs staff will be completely burnt out.

I thibk it's unlikely but would be excellent

What about midwives, radiographers, health care assistants, hospital cleaner, Porter's, administrators, etc? I think that they should have some sort of bonus and it really is irritating when people think the NHS is just Nurses and Doctors. Every worker in the health service is struggling to cope. Its not all about nurses.

Yes the NHS is extra busy but actually so are supermarket staff and they are more likely to be on minimum wage.

Pinkocelot...so what is your job and how much do you earn !! Funnily enough when I did my nurse training I did not sign up to help with a pandemic ,potentially risking my own health .

I think all key workers should get a bonus for working through the pandemic, and I think if it drags on too long, in all practical terms this will have to happen.

Which really calls into question the viability of the government paying people to stay at home 'as long as it takes' - it will cause inflation, because eventually people will have to be induced into work.

It's actually becoming socially unacceptable to work outside of 'essential services' - people are getting bollocked for prioritising money over lives.

@ needsahouseboy
I’ve lived and worked and London all my life. Impossible to buy a house on my salary

The absolutely should get a wage rise! Even more so after all this. Bad state of affairs when folks saving peoples lives are underpaid

Absolutely

We are massively short on nurses. Chronically short.

Increase the pay to attract more students. We are going to lose a lot of nurse from outside the UK.

No university degree. No fees for learning.

Well done to all the nurse. We love you and thank you for the sacrifices you have made and are making now.

Stay safe xx

Not having a pay cut would be a result imo. Perhaps we could get more favourable conditions. Flexible working, more staff on the ground, better consideration in terms of family-friendly working. Not just nurses but all nhs staff including receptionists, admin, cleaners, physio, OTs radiographers, the list goes on. A promise not to keep trimming services and expecting more for less and less. Genuine investment in efficiencies that make things easier, more joined up services, less repetition of paper work, easier entry into training for new recruits in terms of finance, That would be amazing.