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Nurses urged to sign 'scrap the cap' pay petition

More than 80,000 people have signed a petition urging the government to scrap a pay cap which limits NHS staff to a rise of just 1% each year.
Tiplady petition

More than 80,000 people have signed a petition urging the government to scrap a pay cap which limits NHS staff to a rise of just 1% each year

The online petition, started by community nurse Danielle Tiplady, argues that Agenda for Change staff have experienced pay restraint since 2010 and lost about 14% of their pay in real terms.

Tiplady petition
A petition urging the government to scrap an NHS pay cap of 1% is nearing 100,000 signatures

The Demand an end to the pay restraint imposed on agenda for change NHS staff petition, set up in October 2016, is edging closer to the 100,000-signature mark, upon which the issue will be considered for debate in parliament.

Now the RCN is calling on everyone from nurses to members of the public to sign the petition and help send a message to the heart of government to scrap the cap.

Time for change

RCN general secretary Janet Davies said: 'Nursing staff work incredibly hard in challenging circumstances and they deserve to be fairly paid.

'They have endured the public sector pay cap since 2010, which has left them 14% worse off in real terms. Many are struggling to provide for themselves and their families.

'With demands on the health service reaching new heights, the current nursing shortage in the UK is causing chaos for staff and patients alike. For the sake of the nation’s health, the government should be doing everything they can to retain staff and encourage more people into nursing.

'We are asking everyone from healthcare staff to patients and the general public to sign this petition and help to lift this cap once and for all. It is time nursing staff were valued for the critical work they do.'

Pay restraint

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has previously signalled that pay restraint is set to continue for the 2017-2018 pay award, calling it a ‘crucial’ part of government plans to control public finances.

In September, health unions urged the NHS Pay Review Body (RB), which advises the government on NHS staff pay, to recommend a meaningful pay rise for NHS workers for the 2017-18 pay round.

The RB is expected to submit its report to ministers by the end of February.

Sign the petition here


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