Nurses counting the cost of rural mileage rates
NURSES across Northumberland are struggling financially due to being paid 26p less per mile than the nationally agreed rate.
At a time when concerns have been raised about the rising cost of living, district and community nursing staff at Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust are being paid 30p per mile instead of the Agenda for Change car mileage rate of 56p.
The NHS workers, who cover rural areas, are forking out £100 more on fuel each month and it is putting a “significant strain” on their finances.
Last month, The Royal College of Nursing called for an urgent and early review of the NHS mileage rates to deal with recent dramatic increases in fuel costs. As it stands, mileage reimbursement rates for work-related car travel are 56p per mile for the first 3,500 miles then 20p for each additional mile.
Regional director for RCN Northern Region Sarah Dodsworth has slammed the trust, describing their decision to pay district and community nursing staff 30p per mile “totally unacceptable”.
She said: “District and community nursing staff, who rely on their cars to deliver care to patients at home, are telling us they are paying £100 more on fuel every month, putting a significant strain on their finances.
“Currently, the trust does not pay the nationally agreed Agenda for Change car mileage rate of 56p but a much lower rate of just 30p per mile. This is totally unacceptable. Effectively staff are subsiding their employer as they pay to do their job and travel to see patients.
Unison, the largest trade union in the UK, said they are working with Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust to improve the conditions for district and community nurses.
UNISON regional secretary Clare Williams said: “The soaring cost of fuel is having a significant impact on workers and is a key issue for the union. We are working with the trust to find a range of solutions to support staff to maximise their take home pay including a recent supplementary mileage rate on top of current allowances.”
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have told The Chronicle that they are looking at a range of measures to help NHS workers in Northumberland with the rising cost of living.
A spokesperson said: “We know that the rising cost of living is impacting on everyone and we are currently looking at a range of measures that we hope will help with some of these challenges for those in the most need.
“For those in Northumbria it can be a particular challenge because of the distance we cover, but we’ve been working to try and alleviate some of these issues, while also providing more solutions for staff looking to make motoring more cost-effective. We use the HMRC calculation of fuel for staff who use their car for work purposes and pay more than the current rate. The mileage rate paid is reviewed on a quarterly basis and adjusted in line with any change in the HMRC calculation of fuel costs.”
WORKERS ‘PAY £100 MORE ON FUEL EVERY MONTH’