The prime minister must remember the work of nursing staff he praised after his own hospital stay and reconsider his one per cent NHS pay award, the leader of the Royal College of Nursing says in a speech to activists today.
In a direct appeal to Boris Johnson, the RCN’s general secretary will recall the description the prime minster gave of his life-saving care and the nursing staff who stood by him for 48 hours last spring.
Dame Donna Kinnair will tell a conference of hundreds of frontline nurses and activists that their work in the pandemic has “smashed” old stereotypes and that the next pay award must acknowledge the realities of the role.
Kinnair will also say that government knows it has “badly misjudged” the moment. She will criticise suggestions of one-off Covid bonuses for NHS staff in England and say that ministers appear to be “timid and tinkering” despite tens of thousands of unfilled nursing posts.
Donna Kinnair will say:
“I’m appealing directly to Boris Johnson today to think back 12 months. When you told the world you owed your life to the care of nursing staff. When you acknowledged that the people who looked after you were putting themselves in harm’s way.
“You had your eyes opened to the difference 21st century nursing makes. You told the country it was two nurses who stood guard for 48 hours and made life saving interventions. How would you feel if you saw them now? They stood by you, now stand by them."
She will add:
“Two weeks ago, the government revealed its hand in the debate around the next NHS pay award. A measly one per cent. You were hurt and bitterly disappointed. And the public were outraged. The government knows it has badly misjudged this one.
“There is money available – just look at some of the other decisions. Big money for defence. And tax breaks that benefit companies like Amazon. If ministers keep to such a low pay award, it will be because they’ve chosen not to – the decision is very much in their hands.
“Reports suggest the government is thinking of trying to defuse this row by giving people a small Covid bonus. It’s very simple - we don’t want a one-off sweetener. Nursing needs a significant increase this year that we can build on next year too.
“There are tens of thousands of vacant posts and yet ministers are timid and tinkering. They are driving even more to reconsider their career in nursing after the pandemic. Putting an extra £3.50 a week on the table doesn’t cover the cost of a day’s parking."
She will also say:
“The last 12 months has smashed every old stereotype about nursing. You have set out the true picture of the realities and complexities of modern nursing. The public has seen it. The politicians saw it too. And the fight is squarely on getting the salary that matches what you do.”
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