Workforce plan and proper pay rise vital to secure NHS future, says UNISON

Commenting on the speech today (Wednesday) by NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard to the NHS Providers conference in Liverpool, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: 

“Without skilled, experienced staff, there is no NHS. Vacancies have now reached intolerable levels and there’s no cure in sight. 

“It’s vital the government gets behind a proper workforce plan before it’s too late. The focus should be on permanent jobs rather than patching up the system with expensive agency staff.

“But the first step to getting the NHS back on its feet is to boost health workers’ pay immediately. It’s the critical first step to stop talent and experience draining away and leaving patients unable to get the care they deserve.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is currently balloting health staff working for more than 250 NHS employers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland over pay. That vote closes in Northern Ireland on Friday (18 November), and next Friday (25 November) in England and Wales. UNISON members in Scotland have voted to reject the latest pay offer from the Scottish government. 
– UNISON and most other health unions had called for an above-inflation pay rise in their submission to the NHS pay review body.
– In July, the government in Westminster announced that most NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts (NHS terms and conditions) in England would get a pay rise of £1,400, in line with the recommendation of the NHS pay review body. This amounted to a 4.75% increase to the NHS pay bill. Health workers had been due a wage rise on 1 April 2022. Health workers in Wales got the same award. The health minister in Northern Ireland said he wanted to implement the same award but could not do so due to the political stalemate, so NHS workers there have had no pay rise at all.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contact:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: [email protected]
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: [email protected]