Nurses will rightly see 1% pay offer as kick in teeth
THE UK Government is quite rightly facing a backlash from the public over its paltry and insulting 1% pay rise offered to NHS workers.
In a poll last week, it was revealed that 72% of the public believe the pay deal should be more generous. Even 58% of Conservative voters believe the increase is too low.
The Westminster Government proposal in effect delivers a cut of hundreds of pounds in the pay of some nurses. Newly qualified nurses would face a real-terms pay cut of £307 over the next two years according to experts.
The 1% offer will be a matter for the NHS pay review bodies to discuss and they will recommend salary levels for health service staff in May. This is an independent body and their report and recommendations will need to be considered carefully and I very much hope there will be a change of heart by the Government by then.
Our nurses will rightly see the 1% offer as a kick in the teeth. Months of dealing with the pandemic is leaving its toll on the workforce. Over the coming months, their wellbeing should be paramount.
The Conservative Government’s insulting offer will leave many feeling dejected and neglected.
Investment in the NHS workforce, including parity of treatment for care staff, is one of Plaid Cymru’s key pledges for the Senedd Election which is set to be held on May 6.
We are all deeply thankful to health and care workers for their sacrifices during the pandemic and things can’t be allowed to go back to how they were before.
To truly get to grips with pressures on the workforce, historic long waiting times and backlog on diagnosis and treatments, we need to build a robust and resilient national health and care service – embarking on the training and recruiting of 1,000 new doctors and 5,000 new nurses and other health professionals.
Our ambitions to transform health and social care are ambitions that reflect the needs and aspirations of the workforce and patients alike.
We are intent on delivering a plan to make Wales more resilient and sustainable, focusing on the preventative and delivering on a healthier nation all around.
Valuing both our NHS workers and care workers is vital and this appreciation has come to the fore during the pandemic. That’s why many of us are appalled by the 1% offer and will be demanding a fair settlement for health and care staff, many of whom are going way beyond the proverbial extra mile as they care for our loved ones.