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Nursing staff are essentially “working one day a week for free” thanks to a decade of real-terms pay cuts.
Researchers at London Economics looked at nurses’ pay around the UK and found the salary of an experienced nurse has fallen by 20% since 2010.
This equates to nurses working one day a week for free during the worst cost of living crisis for over a generation.
Separate polling undertaken by NursingNotes also found an increase in the number of nurses skipping meals (47%) to save money and paying for essential items on credit cards (61%).
NHS services also face the most significant number of unfilled nursing vacancies in history, with around 47,000 unfilled posts being recorded earlier this year. New polling shows Brits are concerned about using the NHS due to pressure on services and long waits for treatment.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says the goodwill and expertise of the profession is being exploited by governments across the UK. RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen, said: “This exploitation of nursing staff cannot be tolerated any longer.
“In the pandemic, the politicians urged the public to clap for carers, but now they are wilfully ignoring nursing’s astonishing efforts and expertise.
“Ministers have stubbornly resisted the requirement to address the workforce crisis, including paying nursing fairly, instead rejecting any opportunity to act. They have taken advantage of nursing’s goodwill and steadfast determination to act in the interests of their patients.
“Our members have had enough. Expecting nursing staff to work one day a week for free is totally unacceptable.
“Patients deserve better from their politicians. Despite nursing staff working increasingly long hours and doing all they can, safe and effective care is being undermined by the failure of governments to act.”
© 2019 NursingNotes.co.uk
© 2019 NursingNotes.co.uk
