Three UK’s largest health unions have urged the government to ignore an independent panel and hold direct NHS salary talks.
Unison, Royal College of Nursing and Unite called on the Health Secretary to abolish the “unfit-for-purpose pay body”. They believe that this will reduce staff turnover, improve patient care and reduce backlogs in the health services.
In a letter sent to Wes Streeting by the unions, they claim that bypassing the panel which reviews NHS pay will be vital for the service to remain fit for the future.
The unions are asking him to have direct talks with them about pay increases, instead of waiting until the NHS pay review process is complete before announcing next year’s wage increases.
Minimum Wage Concerns
The letter states that if only the government acts on the report of the pay review board, then a million NHS workers in England – such as paramedics and nurses, health assistants, visitors, porters and estate staff – will not receive their raises expected for April.
The unions said that if the new wages are not confirmed on time, the lowest-paid NHS workers will also fall below the National Living Wage (NLW) that takes effect in the same month.
The NLW rate will increase to PS12.21 per hour in April 2025 for those over 21 years old, while NHS staff earning the least currently earn 13p less at PS12.08 an hour.
The letter stated that “Health workers are at the heart of NHS… and are crucial to improving patient care and getting back health and community services on their feet.
Sticking to the outdated pay review body process could lead to repeating past mistakes. This does not fit in with your vision of a 21st-century NHS which has a motivated and stable workforce as its core.
The unions say that finalizing next year’s increase in pay during planned discussions on pay scales would be more efficient and faster than a “dual-track” approach.
“The process of the pay review body is out-of-date and belongs to an era gone by. The process is slow, bureaucratic, and inefficient. This would save the NHS, government, and other health organizations tens and thousands of pounds, and the time it takes to collect, submit, and present evidence.” the letter continued.
The unions are of the opinion that a simplified wage increase process would use “fewer resources and, more importantly, will deliver next year’s salary rise on or before its due date”.
The letter stated that this would be the best way to get the NHS on track again, retain the experienced staff needed to do so and attract the recruits crucial to filling huge gaps in workforce.
‘A bygone era’
Jon Richards, assistant general secretary of Unison, said that the process for pay review bodies is a relic from the past and should be scrapped. “A modern NHS requires modern pay practices in order to retain and recruit staff.”
The Health and Care Secretary says he is working to improve the patient experience, increase NHS efficiency and change its fortunes. It would be best to completely break from the past. The government should ditch the inefficient dual-track approach for NHS pay. It will save money and instead focus on direct negotiations with unions.”
Professor Nicola Ranger, Royal College of Nursing’s chief executive and general secretary, believes that its members require “action and clarity about their future” in order to rebuild the nursing profession and the NHS as well as modernise care delivery.
She said: “That’s why we have to sit down at a table and have meaningful discussions.” This approach was taken in the interest of nurses, patients, communities and the NHS.
Richard Munn, Unite’s national officer for Health, called the current process of review “broken beyond repairs”, and claimed that NHS staff had suffered “substantial pay cuts in real terms for more than a decade”.
He said: “This created a recruitment and retention crisis of enormous proportions.” It is the direct result of employees being real money losers by tens or thousands of pounds.
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