Pay all staff an extra £1 an hour, say Unison members

All NHS staff should receive an extra £1 an hour, Unison members have said.

An overwhelming majority of delegates at Unison's annual health conference in Liverpool voted today in favour of a motion calling for Unison's health service group executive to propose a flat rate UK claim of £1 an hour increase on NHS pay.

Susan Parkinson. Picture credit: Neil O'Connor

Proposing the motion, Oxfordshire Health branch member and healthcare assistant (HCA) Susan Parkinson said a huge number of health workers are struggling to survive on low pay.

'I know members rely on second jobs and overtime just to get by,' she said, adding many staff are resorting to food banks to support their families.

'Recently a colleague fainted in theatre because she had gone three days without food to ensure she had enough food for her children.'

Susan Groves, also an HCA and member of Oxfordshire health branch, said there are big disparities in the wages of HCAs in England compared with their counterparts in Scotland.

Unison service group executive member James Anthony said 'members have been pushed to the brink,' adding that even nurses on bands 7 and 8 are sometimes being referred to food banks because of their financial pressures.

'Our members need enough pay in their pockets to pay their essential bills,' he said.