NHS trade unions today made its submission to the Pay Review Body, as pay fails to keep pace with inflation, leaving NHS staff struggling to keep their heads above water financially, without a real-terms pay increase since 2006.
The continuing NHS pay cap will mean that by 2014, NHS staff will have suffered a real-terms pay cut of between 8% and 12%, at a time when NHS reorganizations and staff cuts make their jobs increasingly stressful.
Christina Mcanea, Joint Chair of the NHS Staff Council said: “NHS staff have seen the value of their pay fall by at least 10% over the past two years. This, together with cuts in staffing and services, increased demand and, in England, the huge NHS re-organisation, has led to low morale and high stress levels.
“We’re asking the PRB to investigate the impact of successive pay freezes and ongoing pay caps on NHS workers, because this is important for patients. The evidence is clear – supporting and investing in staff makes a real difference to patient outcomes.”
Josie Irwin, Joint Secretary of the NHS Staff Council said: “Frontline staff continue to work hard providing patient care throughout a period of uncertainty, and on top of this are struggling to cope financially as pay continues to fall behind inflation.
“Claiming that fair wages cannot be afforded, while the latest figures show senior managers have enjoyed substantial pay increases, sends the message to frontline staff that their contributions are not valued, which is bad for staff and bad for the NHS.”
