NHS workers call for 3.9 per cent pay rise

Unions representing nurses and other NHS staff have written to the chancellor to demand a 3.9 per cent pay rise and extra £800 to make up for the cut they have seen in the past few years.

Fourteen unions have come together to ask for the increase, saying pay has fallen by 15 per cent since 2010 once inflation is taken into account. They said it was unfair ministers had selectively agreed a rise in pay for police and prison officers.

The British Medical Association has not put its name to the letter which unions sent to the devolved nations.

In the letter, unions argue that increasing pay would help with shortages of staff in the health service.

The cost of the pay rise would total £2.5 billion.

The call for the increase comes after ministers agreed to give police officers a one per cent rise plus a one per cent bonus, with prison officers getting a 1.7 per cent rise.

Sarah Gorton, Unison head of health, said: “Health workers have gone without a proper pay rise for far too long.

"Their wages continue to fall behind inflation as food and fuel bills, housing and transport costs rise.”

Janet Davis, RCN general secretary, said: “When ministers hold pay down, it drives too many nurses out of the NHS.”

A government spokesperson said: “Public sector workers, including NHS staff, do a fantastic job, and the government is committed to ensuring they can continue to deliver world-class public services.

"The government will continue to ensure that the overall package is fair while also being affordable to taxpayers as a whole."