To think that if NHS staff get a 1% pay rise that is nothing but an insult?

[Bluetoybox]

Given the joke of a pay rise given over the last 3 years, well below inflation in real terms anyway but where the Government also out and out lied by failing to mention that you'd drop an increment step to get your pay rise and now this after all the NHS have done in the last year!!! A decade capped at 1% before the 3 year review and now they want to send us right back to 1%
Absolutely disgusted!

@MintyMabel

Isn’t the problem that people are assuming “NHS staff” are one group all of whom have been front facing on Covid wards, working round the clock so it seems bad. When really “NHS staff” covers a really wide range of people.

I’m happy with a 1% raise, which is more than most will get, but let’s give bonuses to those who have gone above and beyond in the last year.

I'm also NHS, not frontline, but working double hard with reduced staff to stop people suffering or dying from things other than Covid. I agree that we are lucky to be employed and with regular money coming in which a lot don't have so I am also happy with any rise.

Personally I find the media constantly referring to "nurses", to the exclusion of all others, extremely irritating. I have friends who are physios and SALTs who have worked frontline under incredible pressure (which most nurses and the rest of us haven't).

Many people have lost their jobs (me) and have had significant pay cuts (DH 10%). An across the board rise in the NHS of 1% is more than most are getting. And with pay rises you have to think of the longer term impact on your wage Bill.

I would however support a one off bonus for all frontline NHS workers to show our huge appreciation.

If I were a health care practitioner, in the NHS, I'd be thinking about whether I really wanted to live through another year like the one we've just had, working in the conditions I have, underequipped, under-resourced, over-worked, expected to survive on applause and fresh air.

And then I'd start looking around the world. Because everywhere in the world is crying out for health-care practitioners. . .

The armed forces are getting a 0% pay rise. DH is at the top of his pay scale but has just been promoted so at least he’ll be moving up the increments again.

He’s been working 50+ hour weeks in the office, dealing with recruits with Covid. Most people on the base have had Covid.

Millions of people are working in frontline roles with no pay rises. Crap for everybody.

My personal issue is not the 1% this year, honestly I'm surprised by even that. This issue is that irrespective of how the economy is doing, the NHS has had below inflation pay rises year on year. If they had said - no pay rise this year because of government debt, but in 2 years we will guarantee an above inflation pay rise for example, then people wouldn't be quite so pissed off. As it is, we don't get rewarded no matter how the economy is doing.

And for the person who said ITU / hospital nurses had taken the brunt / worked hardest - yes they had a hard time and you know about it because they were in the news. Community staff / nurses / carers / mental health health crisis staff never stopped providing care and put themselves at risk every single day going in to care home, covid positive patients in their own homes with a surgical mask and plastic aprons along with higher than usual referrals, and high levels of end of life care through out. Please don't minimise anyone's input or impact of covid, every HCP I know is close to burn out, irrespective of where they worked.

Though might actually be more because they get increments for service length separately eg my exh is public sector who were offered 1% but actually he got 2.9 because 1.9 was his annual uplift due to grade

A lot of nurses I know are saying they are quitting nursing completely. I don’t blame them but where exactly are they going to work? There are no jobs. Yes, I’ve seen the replies above about private hospitals and moving abroad but what about those who leave nursing completely?

Are other countries recruiting nurses, isn’t Australia locked down to non-citizens?

I’m not sure the USA (for example, not sure about other countries) is a paradise for nurses either, it’s a tough job wherever you go. Plus US employment laws are pretty nonexistent.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-us-canada-52476128

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/617091/

A big up yours from Boris to the people who saved his life last year.

@fromdownwest that is basically what the leadership of my essential public sector organisation said - we can probably afford some pay rises but we won’t give them to you because it’s bad for our image to give pay rises when other people are losing their jobs and having pay cuts/freezes so we‘ll have a pay freeze too. Sorry, nothing we can do to change the fact that people on the graduate scheme who we have to give pay rises to contractually are now paid significantly more than you despite you working here for 3 years and being experienced

[quote Donotfeedthebears]A lot of nurses I know are saying they are quitting nursing completely. I don’t blame them but where exactly are they going to work? There are no jobs. Yes, I’ve seen the replies above about private hospitals and moving abroad but what about those who leave nursing completely?

Are other countries recruiting nurses, isn’t Australia locked down to non-citizens?

I’m not sure the USA (for example, not sure about other countries) is a paradise for nurses either, it’s a tough job wherever you go. Plus US employment laws are pretty nonexistent.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-us-canada-52476128

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/617091/[/quote]
I know of 3 nurses who have left. One has gone into university lecturing, the other 2 are doing admin for family businesses and are happy on the minimum wage for much less stress and a happier life.

We'd happily pay higher tax if we knew it would result in NHS staff receiving better pay and working conditions. But there needs to be higher tax rates for the top brackets though and tackle Amazon etc first. But that won't happen in a Tory government.

Cutting funding to the NHS in a pandemic is disgusting too.

@Racoonworld

Would any of you want to pay higher taxes so that NHS staff can get a decent pay rise? I’d be happy to myself, but many don’t seem to want to pay more. There isn’t the money currently, our country is in so much debt.

No. I’ve worked hard throughout this pandemic too and I won’t be getting a pay rise.

Personally, I appreciate NHS workers but they go into it knowing it’s hard work and usually low pay.

Plus several friends are nurses in the NHS and get paid more than me.

This is why I don't vote Tory. If you believe they are not systematically taking apart the NHS, you need to have a look at the figures. If you treat the workforce in this way, there's a very obvious outcome; we have no one to staff the wards. So you have to go private.

If you can afford to go private, by all means do but if not, please don't vote Tory.

Maybe a compensation scheme for those of us NHS and other frontline workers who contracted Covid at work and now have long Covid and potential life altering illness would helps as it happens it’s not even recorded as a work related illness despite many of us not being anywhere else to catch Covid.

Soon enough the anger in the public sector is going to reach a critical mass and I hope they organise effectively.

When the private sector is booming, the public sector gets no benefits of this. The success simply isn’t passed on. We’ve had a decade of austerity and will probably have another. It’s always been “now is not the time”. It’s never the time. There’s never going to be a good time according to the government apparently.

Billions to throw at everything else. Dodgy contracts, giving it to their mates but none for pay rises. Millions to spend on settling Patel bullying claims, millions for creating a useless 50p Brexit coin but none for pay rises.

Yes.
Absolutely disgusting. Was shocked when I read the headline yesterday.
Shows how confident the Tory party are feeling. Labour need to get their act together and provide an effective opposition.

There you go typical of Gov, want us on our doorsteps clapping, what good does that do? One of the reasons we didn’t entertain the idea, pay the NHS workers properly, they absolutely deserve it.

I wonder just how willing ex doctors and nurses are likely to be to muck on in if and when there's another wave? I wonder how many who are currently teetering on the 'fuck this for a game of soldiers' ledge, are likely to sadly yet thankfully take a big step over, after yet another understaffed shift at an underresourced hospital?

Seems to me like there's one area that the Government pisses off at their peril at the moment, and that's health workers, and their good-will. We're still in the pandemic.

Simple solution - don't vote Tory?

Otherwise you'll get a conciliatory clap instead of a justified pay rise.

I'm a peads nurse, but was seconded to adult ITU during for a few weeks during the first wave, and for a fair chunk of the second, it was terrifying.

But that doesn't mean I'm disgusted at a 1% payrise when some have fuck all. Extra money won't help those with PTSD, those with long term health complications from COVID, or those who are simply bloody well physically and emotionally exhausted.

Short term (dreaming I know):

Weeks extra annual leave

Dedicated MH service for HCPs to access 24/7

I would rather real investment and initiatives to improve working conditions in the long term:

Bring back the bursaries and include a ROS, expand on the NA route and explore other training options such as blending learning and placements.

Impossible to do, but in an ideal world better staffing levels so that work isn't as relentless, stressful and unsafe- I honestly do not think throwing more money into wage packets will stop people leaving.

Flexible working, as in many leave as they cannot juggle shift work with caring responsibility etc, rather than having to go bank another scheme.

Better training opportunities, not just for shortage areas so there's an incentive to progress or be more agile.

Can't think of anymore as I'm worn out, but basically even an extra 10% isn't going to keep people or sort out the underfunding and mismanagement.

@ginswinger

This is why I don't vote Tory. If you believe they are not systematically taking apart the NHS, you need to have a look at the figures. If you treat the workforce in this way, there's a very obvious outcome; we have no one to staff the wards. So you have to go private.

If you can afford to go private, by all means do but if not, please don't vote Tory.

For a party that's been in government for 29 years out of the last 40 or so, they've been incredibly slow to "take apart the NHS", if that's their actual aim.

Or, maybe, you know, that's your caricature of their aim, which is probably better viewed as "trying to run the NHS more efficiently and being open to private sector involvement in provision of public services".

Which obviously doesn't motivate the ideologues quite as much, I admit.

@adeleh

And will keep happily voting in those who will never make these people pay tax, because they do very well out of the status quo.

That's factually incorrect. The top earners pay over a third of the tax in this country. The rest comes form the middle earners. 50 percent of the working population pay nothing. Across the whole population and at any point in time, 30% of individuals are in households that receive more in cash benefits than they pay in direct and indirect taxes. The highest income fifth pays about 4 times as much direct tax as a share of income as the poorest fifth and 20 times as much in cash term.

I agree the lack of a pay rise is on ethically shaky ground. I don't understand the rational, considering the government controls the money supply.

Another point of note is, the government also knows the population has £125 billion in lockdown savings.

"^^I think people in the Public Sector, need to take a look at current climates. Job losses exceeding 200k, hours cut, pay frozen or even reduced"
Fair point made here. Only problem is NHS staff have been in this situation for a decade. Pay cuts and restructuring with job losses all part of agenda for change. Remember the banks and we are all in this together? Tough isn't it? Now perhaps it's the turn of the private sector. I work in what is classed as a relatively senior role. If I mess up people seriously suffer. In the past 10 year working in the NHS my pay has risen 9% yes that's the whole 10 years. That equates to a.lift of £4000 in ten years or £400 pounds a year. I have to pay for traing every year out of my own pocket to be able to still work and have to pay HCPC registration of £ 90 per year as well. Unlike most private sector jobs this isn't funded but we need it to work. After yesterday's announcement after 29 years of working for the NHS I think I'm done.

Extra annual leave is definitely dreaming. My (non-NHS) organisation is having to think very carefully about it because everyone has so much they haven’t been able take, that if we aren’t able to carry over more than usual the organisation is at risk of shutting down for a few weeks while we all use it up. Which would probably be amusing for us, but the impact would be front page news and not in a good way.