Thank you to all my constituents who have contacted me about NHS
pay rises.
I am very grateful to every single person working in the NHS
during this incredibly difficult period. Their hard work, dedication and
professionalism has been a lifeline to many thousands of people, while they
have, at the same time, selflessly cared for those individuals and families who
have suffered the tragic loss of a loved one.
As part of our efforts to support NHS staff in the fight against
coronavirus, the Government has committed to ensuring the NHS has the
resources, staff and funding it needs so it can continue to deliver world class
care for everyone, whilst keeping staff safe at the same time. On a local
level, I have been in regular contact with local NHS
leads including the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (RCHT), Cornwall Foundation
Partnership Trust (CFT), GPs surgeries and other key NHS stakeholders and
feedback their experiences and any concerns to my colleagues within the
Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).
The immediate concern is keeping NHS staff safe and ensuring they
have the protective equipment they need. That’s why the Government is working
to ensure that all NHS staff and their families are able to get regularly
tested for coronavirus, while also ramping up the production and delivery of
personal protective equipment. We are also rolling out antigen testing, to
identify those NHS staff who have had coronavirus.
With regard to annual pay awards for NHS staff, these are
determined by an independent and transparent pay review body process. Pay has
already been set up to 2020-21, as part of a deal that was reached in
2018. This deal was negotiated and agreed upon with the NHS trade unions,
and represented one of the largest public sector pay increases in several
years. Starting pay for nurses, for examples, has risen by over 12 per cent
since 2017-18, while the Government also agreed a pay deal that provides junior
doctors with a minimum 8.2 per cent pay rise over four years. The pay review
bodies will make pay recommendations for future years at the appropriate time,
but I know the Government wants to ensure that the NHS continues to attract,
retain and reward staff for their hard work.
The fight against coronavirus is a national effort, and the
Government is committed to giving NHS staff the additional support they need
throughout it.
As ever, if anyone within my constituency is in need of assistance
please don't hesitate to contact me and my team on office@stevedouble.org.uk or 01726
829379
