Responding to the Health and Social Care Committee’s workforce report published today (Monday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:
“The staffing crisis in the NHS and social care grows worse by the day as employees leave for fairer wages on the high street and elsewhere.
“The government’s had years to improve the workforce situation but has done little. Only last week ministers could have acted to stop the exodus of porters, healthcare assistants and other NHS staff with an above-inflation wage rise. But chose not to.
“Instead, the government refuses to invest in the staff so critical to the NHS. That means longer waiting lists and ambulance delays, with even more patients forced to fork out for private tests and treatment.
“Rishi Sunak says tackling the NHS backlog is the UK’s biggest public services emergency. But this won’t happen without proper investment in the NHS and social care workforce. That must begin with a decent pay rise for all staff.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
