NHS Pay award

[Thedogscollar]

So this is what they have come back with from the insulting 1% offer by increasing it to a paltry 3%.
Workers are leaving in their droves we have a massive deficit in nursing and midwifery which is worsening daily.

I work in the South East of England, we are hugely affected with shortages in staffing, virtually every 12.5 hrs shift I do we cannot have a break due to work acuity and lack of staff. We have junior staff in tears with the pressure put upon them.
We aren't paid for our break and we are hard pushed to get it back as time owing. We cover empty shifts on the bank over and above our contracted hours as we know how hard it is for our colleagues in there.
We are all reaching breaking point some are there now and gone off sick. It is exhausting physically but more so mentally as you know before you even get to work what it's going to be like.

I have payslips going back 10 plus years and in that time my salary has barely changed and I am at the top of my band.

Our management team held an urgent meeting the other day to discuss the crisis going on within our trust with staffing and work acuity. Nothing was really dealt with just more management speak.

This government has to look after the NHS staff that have given so much and still are. Staff retention is in crisis and by offering this paltry pay rise they are doing nothing to stop this disaster becoming a momentous catastrophe resulting in even worsening patient safety levels being eroded even more.

How on earth can this government justify 30 plus billions for track n trace and HSS yet not offer a decent pay rise to NHS workers and in that I include care workers too.

Boris and co should hang their heads in shame but as per they think they are doing so well in offering us anything.

I'm sure I will have people coming on now to say they have lost jobs and taken paycuts and for that I am truly sorry but this cannot be used as an arguement for a huge group of essential workers being financially and emotionally abused by their employer which is exactly what this government are doing.

If you did care about our beautiful babies then you wouldn't be insulting me and telling me that I should be leaving their care to newly qualified nurses.
I, on the other hand, do care. That is why I have spent nearly 8 years looking after them and giving my whole heart to my job. Not sure I can do it for much longer though, it is too stressful and upsetting.

The NHS is a good organisation to work for?! That's why clinicians are leaving in droves...sure.

It's a bit ridiculous to have people that dont even work for the NHS telling those who do what it is like as an organisation to work for...

@JaniieJones

'You can tell you have no idea about the reality'

I have plenty of idea of the reality. The nhs is a good organisation to work for. As I've said better holiday, sickness allowances and pension scheme than the private sector. Plenty of scope for further training and promotion if you cba.

I have a lot of respect for hcps, I know many but the defeatist woe is me attitude on this thread is pitiful.

No you don't, you've googled and seen ah that sounds great. Do you think all of the people who actually have experience of it are talking shite, or perhaps you've got it wrong?

I wonder how many people know that the person they see when going through their cancer treatment isn't a consultant but a nurse, at band 7, doing the same work than consultant used to do. The only difference is that they are being overseen by a consultant and don't have full clinical responsibility, but the daily job is the same....for less than half their income.

Honestly some of the people on this thread aren’t worth replying to; I think they’re either taking the piss or genuinely so ignorant it’s embarrassing. You can’t argue with those sorts of people, you’ll just bash your head against the wall I am still cringing for those who are embarrassing themselves. There’s been some lovely posts appreciative of the nhs, so thank you for all those - it reminds me why I love being a nurse

@baldafrique

@Vallmo47 thank you for your lovely post

Major respect for my fellow NHS colleagues

I hear you OP. After nearly 20 years in NHS, I'm leaving. It was a tough 18 months; I never want to see that again (ICU).

@Newchallenge I hope you’re okay, and don’t be afraid to seek support after what you must have seen in the last 18 months working in icu. Thank you for all of the lives you saved

Thank you @Kittyswhiskers that's very kind.
Honestly, the clinical work is fine. (Tragic, but you know, it's what I trained for). It's all the extra management responsibilities added on top, with no non-clinical time. Increased expectations. Then a 1percent payrise?

I agree it's a good steady job with many benefits - but they're taking the piss. I'm not doing it any more.

Yeah sometimes I’m able to detach from the clinical work I agree it’s the additional pressures. If you could just do the patient facing work it would be fine I think. Sorry you’ve had so much additional stress it’s really sad - I bet you’ll be very missed by your patients x

Gosh, I’ve only now read some of the earlier posts I’ve been tagged in. 12.5-15% increases across the board seem unrealistic (not undeserved!) but as somebody said many many posts ago, I think public sector workers can fail to take in to account the extra benefits they get - mostly pension. You’re lucky if you get an 8% combined pension contribution each month and 25 days holiday a year.

But fully appreciate the downside of the NHS and so it’s not all rosy.

I just struggle to imagine any employer that can afford such a steep increase in wage bill, especially when you’re one of the largest employers in the world…

@DragonMamma

But fully appreciate the downside of the NHS and so it’s not all rosy.

I just struggle to imagine any employer that can afford such a steep increase in wage bill, especially when you’re one of the largest employers in the world…

This thread contains numerous suggestions for sources of the money needed to give NHS a higher pay rise. It’s about political will - or the lack thereof.

@DragonMamma

But fully appreciate the downside of the NHS and so it’s not all rosy.

I just struggle to imagine any employer that can afford such a steep increase in wage bill, especially when you’re one of the largest employers in the world…

HCPs are the most important part of the NHS, and there's a real risk that sooner than a lot of people think it's going to be understaffed to the point big areas are left without adequate hospital and community staff to provide even a basic level of care. At this point it's not just a nice to have, they need to do something to attract and more importantly retain staff. Even taking into account the fact that they don't get other benefits, consultants and agency staff brought in to try and fill some gaps are so expensive, and not sustainable. Yeah the pensions okay, it's the decades leading up to being able to benefit from that which suck.

Incidentally, anyone wanting a whinge about NHS pensions should check out the armed forces whose employee contribution is zero.

@Blossomtoes

Incidentally, anyone wanting a whinge about NHS pensions should check out the armed forces whose employee contribution is zero.

That's the spirit!

It’s about political will - or the lack thereof.

I suspect the political will is to leave the NHS to get so unpopular, that people will be crying out for a change - and the Tories want to bring in an American system to benefit corporate capitalism and shrink the welfare state for ideological reasons, not out of any concern for the health of the voters!

@Intercity225

It’s about political will - or the lack thereof.

I suspect the political will is to leave the NHS to get so unpopular, that people will be crying out for a change - and the Tories want to bring in an American system to benefit corporate capitalism and shrink the welfare state for ideological reasons, not out of any concern for the health of the voters!

That might be the intention but it would be political suicide and Labour are just four points behind in the polls now.

I meant electoral suicide.

@Intercity225

It’s about political will - or the lack thereof.

I suspect the political will is to leave the NHS to get so unpopular, that people will be crying out for a change - and the Tories want to bring in an American system to benefit corporate capitalism and shrink the welfare state for ideological reasons, not out of any concern for the health of the voters!

Yes I think that too. There really is no other explanation.

But would it be worth having a serious conversation about options such as the Australian system? I mean, I really don't know. Maybe it would be better all round? For patients and for staff.

Would be good to know the pros and cons if anybody understands those systems...