Health workers across the NHS are facing severe hardship due to the current economic crisis and the effect of a below inflation pay deal, said a joint unions statement on Monday.
With inflation running at a 16-year high, NHS unions have joined forces to press the government to reopen pay talks for next year.
The unions argue that the three-year pay deal agreed earlier this year is now leaving hundreds of thousands of NHS workers struggling to make ends meet.
In their evidence to the independent NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB), the unions argue that another cycle of boom and bust in the health labour market is just around the corner.
A combination of students having to leave their courses because of financial pressures and an ageing workforce facing imminent retirement will leave the NHS with severe staff shortages and an inevitable impact on patient care.
In their bid to reopen pay talks for 2009, the unions point to evidence gathered from their members that highlights the mounting pressures on NHS workers.
In nursing, more than 25% of students are dropping out of their courses, record numbers of nurses are accessing help on managing debt and house repossessions and an increasing number of workers across the sector have been forced to take second jobs due to the rising costs of fuel, food and childcare.
Karen Jennings, UNISON head of health and staff side Chair, said: ‘Hardworking staff across the NHS accepted a three-year pay deal six months ago believing government and economic predictions that inflation had peaked and would start to fall.
‘This clearly hasn’t happened, no one then could have predicted the world-wide credit crunch or that inflation would hit a 16 year high.
‘NHS workers, particularly the low paid, are finding it extremely tough to make ends meet.
‘We know significant numbers are taking second jobs just to put food on the table and pay their bills.
‘Keeping down pay now will have serious consequences for the future of the health service.
‘The NHS needs to be an attractive career option and that means paying workers decently.
‘The re-opener clause was intended to be a safety net for NHS staff, they need that safety net now.’
Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the RCN, added: ‘The current economic crisis is compounded by the fact that we have an ageing NHS workforce and increasing numbers of students dropping out of their courses.
‘All this points to a recruitment and retention crisis right around the corner.
‘Hardworking NHS staff put their faith in the government when they accepted their pay deal – now it’s time for the government to honour the day-in day-out commitment of NHS staff by agreeing to reopen talks to secure a fairer pay deal across the health service.’
Evidence submitted to the NHSPRB from the unions shows that:
l Staff are experiencing severe hardship as a result of rising inflation. One union found that three-quarters of members needed to work overtime to meet living expenses and a fifth could not afford to heat and maintain their homes.
l Nearly three-quarters of members surveyed by one union said they were worse off than the previous year in terms of their pay and the same number had considered leaving the NHS.
l More than 200,000 nurses are aged over 50 and due to retire within the next decade. At the same time, fewer students are embarking on graduate courses and more than one in four do not complete their courses.
l Recruitment continues to be low in the NHS and for the first time in two years, there has been an increased reliance on bank and agency workers. For example, over a third of Heads of Midwifery report that recruitment and retention remains a significant problem.
As part of their submission, the staff side unions are also submitting a report commissioned from independent pay experts Income Data Services (IDS) which provides further evidence of the disparity between the current economic climate and the situation when the pay deal was agreed.
Rosie Auld, from the British Orthoptic Society, said: ‘Orthoptics is a predominantly female profession, with a high number of working mothers of pre-school children.
‘The rising costs of childcare mean that many part time staff are paying more for childcare fees than they are earning.
‘Unless there is an increase in salaries many will stop working and this will compound the already high vacancy rates, currently running at 10% of the current workforce.’
Karen Reay, National Officer for Health, Unite, said: ‘We are supporting the joint staff side evidence that calls for a substantial pay rise for all our hard-working and dedicated Unite members across the NHS, who are grappling with the almost daily increase in household bills.
‘Unite is particularly concerned about emphasising the excellent work that health visitors carry out in the community, despite continuing cutbacks in the workforce.
‘Our speech and language therapy members also need consideration as they deal with longer waiting times for patients and clients, and heightened stress levels.’
Peter Finch, Lead Negotiator, Chartered Society of Physiotherapists said: ‘Physiotherapists and Assistants are a crucial part of the healthcare team delivering innovative, high quality services to patients.
‘Just this week, when announcing the go-ahead for much needed self-referral to physiotherapy in England, Alan Johnson himself acknowledged that physiotherapists “play a vital part in building a society that’s fair”.
‘We trust the Health Secretary recognises that part of this equation is fairly rewarding staff for their skills and commitment.
‘Any failure to re-open the three year pay deal will send a damaging message that physiotherapy staff are not valued by this government.
‘The NHS cannot afford a demoralised, demotivated and disillusioned staff when the need for dedicated, committed clinicians and support staff is so great.’
Jon Skewes, Director of Employment Relations and Development at the Royal College of Midwives, said: ‘Three years of pay cuts will not help the government meet its targets for more midwives, and better choice for women from maternity services.
‘The three year pay award from the government is inadequate given the rises in cost of living and the effects of the credit crunch on the pockets of midwives.
‘We believe our evidence for the PRB is strong in establishing the case to reopen the award.
‘The government needs to listen to that case.’
l Unite, along with other health unions, were meeting NHS North West, the strategic health authority, in Manchester on Monday to thrash out the implications of the continuing privatisation process in the region.
Unite is protesting at the latest private health scheme in Stretford, given permission by Trafford Council last month.
The centre called Independent Capture Assess Treat and Support Service (ICATS) will be contained within a portable facility at the car park at Stretford Leisure Centre.
Unite understands that this facility will be transported on a truck to different locations during the week.
Unite said the scheme is another ‘insidious body-blow at the NHS’.
Unite Regional Secretary for the North West, Kevin Coyne said: ‘The contract has been awarded to Care UK. It is understood that this company has already had, at least, two other contracts to provide NHS services elsewhere in the UK cancelled by the government.
‘So we don’t see why they should be given another chance to use the NHS in Trafford as a milch cow for their shareholders.’
He added: ‘You could have a scenario where Care UK, which does the screening, refers the most profitable cases to their own private facilities, while directing the more complicated and costly conditions back to the NHS.
‘This privately-run centre also threatens to take a huge chunk of work away from existing NHS facilities.
‘Trafford General Hospital, the birthplace of the NHS 60 years ago, could have its financial stability undermined, forcing it into cuts in services and redundancies. This is something that neither our members, nor the Trafford public would wish to see.’
