NHS staff in England could be offered 3% pay rise

NHS staff in England could be offered a 3% pay rise, despite the government saying just 1% is affordable.

The offer, which is expected to draw criticism for being too low, comes after the independent NHS pay review body examined evidence submitted by ministers as well as unions such as the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).

The government sparked anger in March by saying it could only afford a 1% pay rise despite the extraordinary efforts of NHS staff to cope with the pandemic.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended the plan and former health secretary Matt Hancock said the decision to recommend such a small increase was due to an assessment of “what is affordable as a nation” after the Covid crisis.

The NHS pay review body issued its recommendation a few weeks ago, leaving unions wondering why a pay rise is still being delayed.

RCN Acting General Secretary Pat Cullen said: “Health Secretary Sajid Javid has a historic opportunity to show that the Government values ​​NHS staff and knows the importance of this pay rise in improving patient care.

“Nurses’ salaries have fallen dramatically over the last decade – by 15% in real terms. If the government is serious about filling the tens of thousands of nursing vacancies, a significant pay rise is needed.

“It is as crucial to the recovery of the NHS in the years ahead as any other investment.

“Minimal rewards of a few percent would seem timid and insulting to staff when the challenges they face have never been greater.”

Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe, Unite national health officer, said: “If the pay review body is recommending a 3% pay rise, it is a small step up from the insulting 1% proposed by the government in March.

“However, this recommendation in no way acknowledges the 19% drop in real earnings that many NHS workers have suffered over the last decade, nor the immense sacrifices that healthcare staff have made and continue to make as Covid infection rates rise rapidly again.

“This does not match the 4% the Scottish Government offered to NHS workers backdated to December 2020.

“Nor will three percent help stem the growing recruitment and retention crisis, nor free up resources to tackle the huge backlog of non-Covid procedures, such as hip replacements.”

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