NHS workers say recent government pay-rise “isn’t enough”.
Written by Finlay Horsfall on 11th December 2023
NHS badge. Credit: RawPixel
NHS workers have stated that the recent pay-rise “isn’t enough” and that they feel “underappreciated”.
On November 21, 2023, the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, announced that the National Living Wage will increase by over a pound an hour from April 2024.
This means that the average nurse within the NHS would earn an extra £520 a year.
However, Alexis Douthwaite, a student midwife from Anglia Ruskin University, 19, believes that the pay-rise “isn’t enough” due to the working conditions of hospitals.
She added: “I feel the NHS staff are underappreciated and considering how hard we work and the conditions we work in, it’s sad we don’t get paid enough money to live comfortably and support our families.”
Miss Douthwaite described working under the NHS as “challenging, due to the current shortage of staff.”
Pregnant women can choose where they would like to deliver, however, Miss Douthwaite discusses the challenges of homebirth services due to the shortages of staff:
“There are not enough midwives on call for our homebirth service to be successful.
“I feel the current working conditions and current pay for NHS workers are going to cause the NHS to crumble if nothing is done to improve working conditions.”
Emily Goodes, dental nurse of Ramsey Dental Surgery, 41, agreed with Miss Douthwaite’s comments, adding: “I feel the recent pay-rise of £1 per hour is very disappointing as NHS staff work long, tiring hours with little to no breaks.
“As a dental nurse, I would say the conditions under the NHS are very difficult.
“We have a huge demand for NHS dentistry and not enough time or staff to deliver our preferred level of care.
“Waiting times for appointments are long and also waiting times in the surgery can be very long.”
According to the British Dental Association, 75% of dental surgeries say they are now likely to reduce their NHS commitment in the next 12 months.
Ms. Goodes said: “I feel that the conditions under the NHS are playing a big factor as to why dentists are transferring to working privately.
“They can have more time to give the level of care they want to patients, as well as longer appointment times, better materials, and more advanced equipment.
“Patients can therefore feel more at ease during their appointments as we can talk more with them and reassure them.”
When approached by Spark, the NHS declined to comment.
