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NHS in danger of losing staff to supermarkets and coffee shops without better pay, says Unison

Lower wages means 999 call handlers, healthcare assistants, medical secretaries and cleaners are among those being tempted to switch to the private sector, according to the union

The NHS is in danger of losing thousands of vital staff because of stiff competition for workers from high-street firms, a leading union is warning.

Unison said that without significant pay increases, 999 call handlers, healthcare assistants, medical secretaries and cleaners were being tempted to switch to the private sector.

Supermarkets, coffee shops and logistics firms are among those promoting wages higher than the lowest hourly rates in the NHS, according to Unison. Drivers in particular can command higher rates of pay if they move to a private company, it was suggested.

Golden hellos worth £1,500, overtime supplements of an extra £2 an hour and staff discounts are among incentives being offered, it was revealed. Unison warned that an exodus of NHS workers to the private sector would be “disastrous” for the health service amid an ongoing staffing crisis.

A report for Unison by Incomes Data Research said: “In the public sector, rising inflation means that the gap between pay rises there and those in the private sector is likely to widen again. If the Government does not act to narrow this gap, then the NHS is likely to face many of the problems around staff recruitment, retention and morale that arose in the past.”

NHS staff should be getting their 2022 pay rise at the end of this week, but delays had led to a “frustrating wait” until later in the summer, said Unison. Staff in England can expect a 3 per cent pay rise offer from the Government – which many say does not go anywhere near making up for years of real-terms pay cuts – which will be wiped out by the end of the year with inflation expected to hit 8 per cent.

Unison is calling for an above-inflation pay rise, the voluntary real living wage of between £9.90 and £11.05 an hour as the minimum rate across the NHS, and other urgent measures to retain staff.

Sara Gorton, Unison’s head of health, said: “It’s clear big-name employers who compete with the NHS for staff are acting fast. The health service can’t function without cleaners, porters, healthcare assistants and other low-paid workers, but no-one would blame them for taking jobs with employers willing to pay better rates.

“The Chancellor’s spring statement was silent on public sector pay, but the staffing crisis will deepen unless the Government acts swiftly with a real pay rise that leaves inflation in the shade. Workers will then have no choice but to go after better rates on the high street as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite. That doesn’t bode well for patient care.”

A Government spokesperson said: “We hugely value and appreciate all our NHS staff. NHS staff received a 3 per cent pay rise last year, despite a public sector pay freeze, which has increased nurses’ pay by £1,000 on average and we are giving NHS workers another pay rise this year.

“We’ve submitted evidence on what pay rises are affordable while balancing the country’s long term economic health, protecting public sector finances and front-line service delivery, and managing inflationary pressures. As part of our evidence we have highlighted the urgent need to tackle the Covid backlog and continue growing the workforce.”

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