Pittance pay

NHS workers have suffered eight years of real-tem pay cuts, and NHS pay has been cut by 12-15 per cent since 2010. This means that NHS employees have lost between ÂŁ1,750 and ÂŁ15,000 since the general election.

Jeremy Hunt, worth ÂŁ18.5m, has decided to ignore the recommendation of a 1 per cent pay rise for NHS workers by the pay review body (PRB). This 1 per cent increase would translate into a meagre 7p an hour for the lowest paid workers and an average of 13p per hour across the NHS. This is less than a can of beans. Meanwhile, MPs will enjoy a pay rise of 11 per cent.

No one can underestimate the contribution of our school and community nurses and health visitors. Often in the frontline, the work of these staff members can really make a difference to many vulnerable lives.

Nurses

Nurses play a vital role in the NHS, treating many patients at the same time and have skills such as management, counselling and teaching. They also have to deal with very emotionally charged situations as they have such close contact with patients and their families. Nurses’ salaries start at £21,478.

“I feel very sad at the constant upheaval and undervaluing of the NHS’ greatest asset, its staff!” said one nurse. “I have worked for the NHS for over 20 years and have gradually seen it become a detached, business machine with no care for staff who work under huge stresses and little time for patients.”

Another reports, “I was an experienced community staff nurse at the top of band 5 but have taken a £4,000 drop to mid band 5 to train as a SCPHN health visitor. Although I will be band 6 when I qualify in September 2013, I will still be earning £2,000 less than I was on at top band 5 and it will take me four years to get back to where I was financially.”

Health visitor

Health visitors provide crucial support for families and safeguard and protect vulnerable children. They are trained to recognise risks and sins of abuse, and whether actions need to be taken to protect children. Health visitors must first be registered as a nurse or midwife. A health visitor’s salary starts at £25,783.

“I am disgusted that the government are freezing increments for the hardest workers of society,” one told us.

“I often never have lunch breaks, work overtime and go in on days off to get things done. I have recently been prescribed antidepressants due to workload and poor work life balance. Our pay is a pittance for the amount we do anyway and it is an insult to plan further cuts.”

Tomorrow we look at porters, maintenance staff and scientists.