Should nurses be paid more?

Original post by londonmyst

So that all fully qualified nurses would be significantly better off perks wise during their years working within the NHS.
But no change to basic salaries beyond the tax and national insurance exemptions.

Yes, although the nurses would cost 55-60% more upfront at least their pensions wouldn't be an increased cost.

Reply 42

Original post by Rakas21

Define fair.

Even I support public sector pay rises however it is simply not 'fair' to ask the taxpayer to stomach double digit pay rises. They should be offered 7% (in line with current private sector wage rises).

Nurses are not to blame for our current inflationary shock but neither is the taxpayer.

We could of course tie nursing pay rises to cuts elsewhere in the NHS. If the NHS would agree to remove non-essential things like second abortions then that would free money in the budget.

Yes 7% pay rise is fair.
15% or something similar would be considered a bit over the top and greedy.

Reply 43

Original post by Quady

What would an unfairly high pay rise be?

So about a 40% pay rise for senior nurses?
Plus free housing/Council tax/bills.
So they'd be better off by about 55-60%

I'd say doubly digits would be a bit high. 7-8% would be about right.

Reply 44

Original post by Mess.

What do you constitute as a fair pay rise and does anyone else in the NHS deserve this or just nurses?

A 7-8% pay rise is fair.
There are others in the NHS who deserve a decent pay rise too.

Reply 45

Original post by Emma:-)

A 7-8% pay rise is fair.
There are others in the NHS who deserve a decent pay rise too.

So 9% wouldn't be fair in your eyes

Reply 46

Original post by Quady

So 9% wouldn't be fair in your eyes

Well 9% would be yeah. 7-8% was a round about figure.
It's the double figure pay rises that are a bit much.

Reply 47

tazarooni89

The good ones should be paid more and the bad ones shouldn’t be. I think there needs to be some system in place in which patient satisfaction feeds into the pay reviews of individual nurses. A nurse who actually strives to provide the highest quality care shouldn’t get paid the same as someone who just does the bare minimum.

Reply 48

Original post by Emma:-)

Well 9% would be yeah. 7-8% was a round about figure.
It's the double figure pay rises that are a bit much.

So you think a fair pay settlement is a real terms pay cut for nurses.

Reply 49

Original post by Quady

So you think a fair pay settlement is a real terms pay cut for nurses.

To be fair most workers (no matter what job they do or what sector they work in) have not been lucky enough to have a double digits pay rise. I certainly do not know of anyone. Not saying nurses don't deserve it, but we have to be realistic here.

Reply 50

hotpud

18

Original post by Emma:-)

To be fair most workers (no matter what job they do or what sector they work in) have not been lucky enough to have a double digits pay rise. I certainly do not know of anyone. Not saying nurses don't deserve it, but we have to be realistic here.

That's not true though is it?

According to the ONS, average pay has risen by 6.7%. So half have received more and half, less. I would hedge a decent guess that the half that haven't received more than 6.7% are the lowest half of earners e.g. those who are struggling the most.

Now sure, someone who went to university, studied hard, got into a high paying job and has become proficient at that job certainly deserves their pay, but we must not forget that nursing is now a professional job requiring a degree and ongoing training and accountability. It is certainly much more than wiping people' bottoms. Did you know for example that when all the consultants and senior doctors are on the golf course of an evening / weekend, the hospitals are pretty much run by nurses?

Given the fact it is a professional job, I think £27k to £32k is horrendous given the level of responsibility and accountability nurses have.
https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/pay-scales-202223

Reply 51

Original post by Emma:-)

To be fair most workers (no matter what job they do or what sector they work in) have not been lucky enough to have a double digits pay rise. I certainly do not know of anyone. Not saying nurses don't deserve it, but we have to be realistic here.

Most workers didn't have numpies banging pots and and pans every week 'in support of them'.

Realistic and fair are two different concepts.

Reply 52

Megacent

13

I do think they should be paid more but there should be a stipulation that before they get any extra pay they have to explain how come there was time for all those dancing video on TikTok and loads of videos of hospital corridors and rooms completely empty at a time they were claiming to be completely overwhelmed with covid.

Reply 53

Original post by Megacent

I do think they should be paid more but there should be a stipulation that before they get any extra pay they have to explain how come there was time for all those dancing video on TikTok and loads of videos of hospital corridors and rooms completely empty at a time they were claiming to be completely overwhelmed with covid.

So you don't agree.

Reply 54

Megacent

13

Original post by Quady

So you don't agree.

I don't like nurses since the pandemic, but I do think they should be paid more. There's a lot of jobs that don't pay what they should be for the level of work being put in, and that is one of them in my opinion.

Reply 55

Original post by Megacent

I don't like nurses since the pandemic, but I do think they should be paid more. There's a lot of jobs that don't pay what they should be for the level of work being put in, and that is one of them in my opinion.

OK so no conditionality on them being paid more.

Reply 56

Mess.