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NHS pay: anger at minister’s silence as MPs head for summer recess

Health minister fails to address AfC pay rumours in final Commons appearance before autumn
Health and social care minister Helen Whately addresses the Commons but fails to mention pay rise for NHS

Health and social care minister Helen Whately fails to address Agenda for Change pay-rise rumours in final Commons appearance before autumn

Health and social care minister Helen Whately addresses the Commons but fails to mention pay rise for NHS
Health minister Helen Whately addressing the Commons Picture: Parliament TV

The government in Westminster is facing mounting anger after failing to announce details of an expected pay rise for NHS staff in England.

Health minister Helen Whately made no mention of a rumoured 3% pay rise for Agenda for Change staff in the Commons on Wednesday, following months of delays.

Speaking the day before parliament goes into recess, Ms Whately said ministers were considering recommendations of the independent NHS Pay Review Body and that would respond as ‘soon as we possibly can’.

Nurses’ anger at ‘government’s slap in the face’

Nurses used social media to voice their dismay at a lack of clarity.

And RCN interim general secretary Pat Cullen urged ministers to ‘come clean’ about what NHS staff can expect.

‘This treatment of our NHS workers is shameful. Ministers are holding them in contempt and we have no choice but to condemn this behaviour,’ she added.

‘With tens of thousands of nursing vacancies and thousands more considering their future in the profession, the government is sending the worst possible signal with this political game-playing.’

The RCN has made repeated calls for a 12.5% pay rise, and set up a £35 million strike fund in response to what it called the government’s ‘insulting’ 1% pay-rise suggestion made in March. At the time, the government said 1% was all it could afford in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.


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