NHS staff to get three per cent pay rise in a move that has outraged health unions

OUTRAGED union leaders have branded a three per cent pay rise for NHS staff in England and Wales as a ‘bitter blow’ and have threatened to take industrial action.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The pay increase was revealed by the government late last night in an announcement that unions described as ‘shambolic’.

The Department of Health and Social Care said the ‘average nurse’ will receive an additional £1,000 a year, while many porters and cleaners will get around £540.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The uplift will benefit thousands of NHS workers across the Portsmouth area, with prime minister Boris Johnson last night tweeting: ‘To recognise the extraordinary contribution they have made they are receiving a 3% pay rise this year.’

Clap for Carers taking place at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham, along with the Rose and Thistle Pipe Band on what is thought to be the last evening of the tradition on Thursday, May 28.

Picture: Sarah Standing (280520-9091)Clap for Carers taking place at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham, along with the Rose and Thistle Pipe Band on what is thought to be the last evening of the tradition on Thursday, May 28.

Picture: Sarah Standing (280520-9091)
Clap for Carers taking place at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham, along with the Rose and Thistle Pipe Band on what is thought to be the last evening of the tradition on Thursday, May 28. Picture: Sarah Standing (280520-9091)

But the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has blasted the pay uplift, saying the salary increase would be a cut once inflation was taken into account.

Patricia Marquis, England director of the RCN, told BBC Two’s Newsnight the award left nurses feeling they were not ‘valued for what they do’.

She told the programme the union would consult with its members, adding: ‘Once we have their view – which we suspect will be to say they are unhappy about the level – we will then be considering with them what the next steps might be, which could include consideration of industrial action most certainly.’

Read More
Aunt whose cheating nephew stole £200k from Platinum Care at Home says her life ...
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The three per cent increase was recommended by an independent body and will be paid to the majority of NHS staff in England including nurses, paramedics, consultants, dentists and salaried GPs but does not cover doctors and dentists in training.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: ‘NHS staff are rightly receiving a pay rise this year despite the wider public sector pay pause, in recognition of their extraordinary efforts.

‘We asked the independent pay review bodies for their recommendations and I’m pleased to accept them in full, with a three per cent pay rise for all staff in scope, from doctors and nurses to paramedics and porters.’

The RCN had been campaigning for a 12.5 per cent pay increase and its general secretary Pat Cullen said: ‘When the Treasury expects inflation to be 3.7 per cent, ministers are knowingly cutting pay for an experienced nurse by over £200 in real-terms.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘Nursing staff will remain dignified in responding to what will be a bitter blow to many.

‘But the profession will not take this lying down. We will be consulting our members on what action they would like to take next.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to our online coverage, including Pompey, with 70 per cent fewer adverts for less than 20p a day.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.