Posted 05 January 2023 - 13:02
Posted 05 January 2023 - 13:02
News
‘We’ll broker a fair pay deal for nurses’, vows Labour leader
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says poor pay is a massive part of NHS crisis and that his party would broker fairer pay if it wins the next election
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says poor pay is a massive part of NHS crisis and that his party would broker fairer pay if it wins the next election
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer has said the party would broker a fair pay agreement for nurses and other care workers across the country if it wins the next election.
In a new year’s speech in east London this morning, Sir Keir acknowledged that poor pay was a ‘massive part’ of the crisis facing the NHS.
Starmer accuses Rishi Sunak of being in denial about NHS crisis
Sir Keir accused prime minister Rishi Sunak – who yesterday committed to reducing NHS wait times, but provided no plan to address the dire circumstances facing emergency care – of being ‘in denial’ about the crisis facing the health service.
‘We can’t let sticking plaster politics destroy the NHS, I won’t stand for that’
Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party leader
‘We can’t let sticking plaster politics destroy it, I won’t stand for that,’ Sir Keir said.
‘We’ll broker a fair pay agreement that will transform the pay and conditions for every carer in the country, give care workers the respect and status they deserve and help them drive up standards in our care system. That’s a massive part of the NHS crisis.’
Labour pledges to train more nurses and health visitors but provide no details of plan
Yesterday Labour repeated its pledge to train 10,000 more nurses and midwives every year, double the number of medical school places, and train around 5,000 extra health visitors. But when asked by Nursing Standard whether the plans included a pay rise for NHS nurses, or how those extra preregistration education places would be created, Labour did not respond.
Today, Sir Keir repeated the party’s commitment to train more doctors, nurses and health visitors through a ‘fully costed plan for the biggest NHS training programme in our history’, but provided no further details of the plan.
It comes as nurses prepare to walk out for two consecutive days this month as their dispute over pay and working conditions continues. Mr Sunak yesterday called for a ‘reasonable dialogue’ with unions and promised an update on the government’s next steps in the coming days.
Record number of staff vacancies
A record 130,000 staff vacancies and a surge in patient demand is pushing the NHS to breaking point, with emergency nurses saying they are choosing which patients potentially live or die as they are forced to prioritise the most urgent cases.
In a letter to health and social care secretary Steve Barclay, the RCN stressed the pressure is not contained to emergency departments and that a ‘lack of workforce is one of the root causes of today’s situation’.
The college has repeatedly said it will pause strike action if the government begins formal discussions on pay.
In other news
- New TUC boss urges prime minister to resolve nurse pay disputes
- Union condemns potential 2% pay rise for nurses
- Nurses left high and dry as ministers pressed to open pay talks