21st Century Britain - Nurses forced to foodbanks

https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/p...england-bitter-blow-to-nurses/7016879.article

Austerity is really hitting those who provide essential services to the country. The deficit is still a deficit, 7 years on from Cameron's election in 2010. Sad stuff.

Regardless of peoples political persuasion we all want our NHS to be well funded and managed, we all have a lot of respect for the medical professionals who look after us and our families.

Since I can remember, nurses pay and conditions have always been in the news for one reason or another, its a massive job keeping the NHS in some kind of order which can provide a good service to all. The NHS is the worlds fifth largest employer in the world so at some time or another someone will not be happy.

We will be having the same conversation in 10 years time regardless of how much money is pumped into the NHS, its a huge beast that is almost impossible to control.

I agree, to a point. What I would say, though, is like in any war - take care of those on the front line.

If nurses are showing up for a long shift hungry, or having had to get food from a food bank then how can we expect them to perform to 100% of their ability?

One of my sisters is a nurse, something to do with eye operations.

She seems to do OK, I can't see her or any other nurse having to queue up at a foodbank out of need.

I know nurses earn a lot more than i thought they did. They would have no problem with the £18600 visa earnings figure!

maybe if the parasites who come over to benefit from our NHS didnt come over,or those that abuse it who are UK citizens where made to pay for the abuse (ie to much drink etc etc) there would be less strain on the NHS.

And add sports related injuries to that.

Yes and a few more

http://www.hospitaldr.co.uk/blogs/guidance/hospital-doctor-pay-scales-for-2016-2017-nhs-consultant

https://www.rcn.org.uk/employment-and-pay/nhs-pay-scales-2016-17

Your evidence is anecdotal, so I decided to do some more fact checking.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/full-time-nurses-relying-on-handouts-and-food-banks-rwwtjr295

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....-take-out-payday-loans-to-make-ends-meet/amp/

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/uk_5811c59ce4b0ccfc9561bdcc/amp

With the 1% pay cap, and inflation (if on target) expected to be 2%, then nurses will see their wages eroded by 1% through inflation. They have had to endure this for 7 years, as have others who work for Government Departments

The first link is about doctor's salaries. I don't think anyone has claimed that they are using food banks.

The second link shows Band 1 nurses earning less than £16k pa. Band 2 nurses earn no more than £18k a year.

The average U.K. Salary was £27600 in 2015.

Take home pay on £18000 - £1293 a month. Less than £300 a week! For providing a vital service.

The Government are addressing this, it's been mentioned on this forum a number of times.

as i heard--most qualified nurses get over £25k a year. more with overtime and other enhancements. and often thats the second income in the household. as thats more than our combined income--i dont think its bad at all.

I am aware what the links provide in information I put it in there as a general point of interest,I agree that the lowest band is in a lot of peoples including mine opinion fairly low,equally the average is fairly good!

Aware of previous discussions some people just like banging on about the same thing,don't they?

I do agree with a lot of the posters in that nurses seem to be paid reasonably well especially after training/qualifying, that doesn't mean they are paid as well as we would like.

@Bluebird71 stated about the pay of other public workers, its been frozen or the pay awards have been very small, I think this is the reason why the nurses pay increase is so low, goes without saying that if nurses get a large pay increase all the other public sector workers will want the same.

Therein lies the problem. The capped pay rises (much like the no tax rises pledge) were made with very little consideration to the long term impact.

It is often argued that workers in the private sector also had pay frozen, and so there is little sympathy for someone doing an equal status job getting a small pay rise.

The Government at the time (Tory and Lib Dem coalition) could have ringfenced professions like nursing.

Once qualified, nursing pays ok. But the entry wages which will drop in real terms because of inflation, are hardly going to encourage people to choose nursing as a profession. That's the effect of the short sighted, one size fits all wage cap applied in the name of deficit fighting. And, because of the one size fits all policy, it will be difficult for future Governments to fix the issue without having all its employees clamouring for wage increases too.

That we still have a deficit only adds more fuel to the fire.

Ring-fencing nurses pay may be an acceptable way forward, to me it makes sense and I'm sure a lot of the public would agree, only problem is, you're going to have other public sector workers up in arms, or maybe not. I think the idea is worthy of debate to get the lay of the land so to speak.

To be honest I do not think for one moment that qualified nurses at least will need to use food banks.

When you watch these "life on the dole" type of programmes on TV that are often on you notice that the cameraman always pans around to a cigarette or a beer in the claimants hand, maybe they are trying to tell us something

I think benefits are great as a safety net and every first world country should provide this service, problem is, its sadly often abused.