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Nurses’ pay hopes dashed in budget ‘betrayal’

Chancellor’s statement leaves health and care workers with ‘little reassurance’ they will get pay rise needed to solve crisis facing NHS
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivering his Budget speech in the House of Commonsv

Chancellor’s statement leaves health and care workers with ‘little reassurance’ they will get pay rise needed to solve crisis facing NHS

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivering his budget speech in the House of Commons Picture: Alamy

There was no new money for nurses’ pay or the NHS in today’s budget, dashing hopes for a record pay rise for healthcare staff.

Health unions accused chancellor Jeremy Hunt of delivering an ‘historic betrayal’ of NHS staff by failing to address the cost-of-living crisis hitting public sector workers in the spring budget.

The RCN said health and care workers had been left with ‘little reassurance’ they will get the money urgently required to solve the current crisis facing the NHS.

RCN director for England Patricia Marquis said: ‘Jeremy Hunt is on the record less than a year ago raising the alarm over the greatest workforce crisis in NHS history, but as chancellor he is not yet gripping it.

‘He found billions to cut fuel duties but left those working in health and care with little assurance they will get the funding that is urgently required. Without staff, the NHS cannot plan for recovery in patient and public services – yet there was only a passing reference to the long-awaited workforce plan.’

Pay talks continue but questions over whether there will be new money to fund higher pay

While a direct announcement on nurses’ pay was unlikely while pay talks continue with unions, there were questions on whether new money would top up existing budgets to fund higher pay.

Without the introduction of new money it looks unlikely that current budgets could fund the record increases called for by unions. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has already flagged that it cannot afford more than a 3.5% rise in NHS pay next year.

The budget was very light on details on how the government plans to get the NHS back on track. Speaking in the Commons Mr Hunt said the much-anticipated NHS workforce plan, promised in the Autumn statement, would be delivered soon.

But unions have said that without additional investment in the NHS it will be difficult to achieve the government’s commitment to reduce waiting lists.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: ‘There is no plan to get wages rising across the economy. Real wages will not return to 2008 levels until 2026. And the elephant in the room is the lack of funding for our public services and the pay rises needed to recruit and retain nurses, carers and teachers.

Chancellor made wrong choices, unions say

‘We need a fully funded workforce plan across our public services to recruit and retain key workers.’

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘Today the chancellor had a chance to save the National Health Service – starting by paying NHS workers their dues. Instead, he made the wrong choices and delivered a historic betrayal where there wasn’t a penny for the NHS pay in the budget.’


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