Northamptonshire's NHS workers call on Government to show its appreciation by giving them an early pay rise

Health staff across Northamptonshire – including nurses, paramedics, cleaners, domestics and porters – joined in two days of campaigning urging the Government to give an early pay rise of at least £2,000 to every NHS worker.

Members of health service union Unison based in NHS hospitals, ambulance stations and clinics used social media and socially distanced events to press home the message that health workers deserve much more than a weekly clap for their efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Health workers know the public backs an early NHS pay rise, but now want to see Boris Johnson's Government show its appreciation for staff by bringing forward the pay rise due in April.

Among the campaigners was Stuart Tomlinson, a radiotherapy physicist at Northampton General Hospital responsible for the precision and accuracy of treatments by using advanced computer calculations to develop individual patient treatment plans.

Stuart, who has worked at NGH for 30 years, said: “NHS staff like me are just ordinary people who have been put into an extraordinary situation.

"Proper recognition and pay to match it is the least the Government can do to show they value the hard work and dedication of NHS workers.

"A £2,000 pay rise is a fair and just reward for keeping our national health service running 365 days a year."

Unison’s pay claim – delivered to Downing Street last month – would see every NHS employee receive an increase of at least £2,000 by the end of the year — equivalent to around £1 an hour extra for all staff.

Union chiefs say this early wage increase could give ailing local economies a much-needed boost as workers spend the extra money in their pockets on the high street.

Northamptonshire's public turned out in force to support the weekly clap for NHS staff on ten successive Thursdays during the Covid-19 pandemic.

But Unison's East Midlands regional head of health, Barbara McKenna, said: “Infection rates are rising in care homes and out in the wider community, and hospital admissions are on the up.

“The pressure on staff is beginning to build again, as the NHS tries to open services shut earlier in the year and deal with the backlog of cancelled appointments and operations.

“That’s why now would be the perfect time for the Prime Minister and Chancellor to show they can do more than clap for NHS staff, and demonstrate their appreciation in a much more practical way.

“Boris Johnson’s pie in the sky plans for any time, any place, anywhere ‘moonshot’ testing would cost a mindboggling £100bn. An early pay rise for NHS staff would be a tiny fraction of that and would make a huge difference to individuals and the services they help provide.

“Investing in the NHS and its incredible staff is a must for the government. It would help the health service tackle the mounting staff shortages that were already causing huge problems even before the virus hit.

“An early pay rise would also be the country’s best way of saying a heartfelt thank you to every single member of the NHS team.”