"The tide is turning" and one NHS nurse in our region thinks colleagues could well resort to industrial action this summer in protest at below-inflation pay rise offers to health service staff.
Earlier this week the Government said it had accepted recommendations from the independent NHS pay review bodies which will see some of the NHS ' lowest earners - such as porters and cleaners get a 9.3% pay rise, while the average basic bay for nurses will rise around £1,400. Unions reacted angrily to the news, saying that this amounted to a real terms pay cut.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) became the first union to announce a ballot over industrial action, while leaders from UNISON called the pay offer a "big mistake". Recommendations for doctors' and dentists' pay were also met with dismay. Many will get a 4.5% pay rise, but this does not include junior doctors. The NHS Confederation industry body also warned that because the Department of Health and Social Care had only provided for a 3% rise in its funding, £1,8bn would need to be found from within existing budgets.
