FOLLOWING a new analysis of pay, Welsh nurses work the equivalent of one day each week for free.
The Royal College of Nursing commissioned researchers from London Economics to examine salaries in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland since 2010.
Based on a five-day week, they discovered that the true wage of an experienced nurse had decreased by 20%.
According to the report, a salary increase would help save money for the NHS because it is so expensive to acquire staff globally, which is now the primary recruitment strategy used by the government.
Dr. Gavan Conlon, who supervised the research, stated that importing personnel from abroad costs roughly £16,900 more yearly than maintaining a nurse, while hiring agency labour costs approximately £21,300 more annually.
Approximately 32,000 nurses leave the NHS annually, leaving tens of thousands of vacancies, he added, at least partially due to the deterioration of living standards.
Since the beginning of the epidemic, 700,000 people have left the labour force due to NHS waiting lists, making them one of the primary causes of economic inactivity.
“The significant costs of employee turnover indicate that staff retention is a cost-effective policy for the NHS,” stated Dr. Conlon.
According to the research, “the economy is on its knees and will remain there unless nurses are paid more.”
According to the research, experienced nurses in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland would need a nominal wage increase of 45 percent by 2024-25 to return their incomes to 2010-2011 levels in real terms.
Approximately 300,000 RCN members are being asked if they are willing to strike during a current balloting process.
The union argues for increased pay and fast action to address the tens of thousands of nursing vacancies across the nation.
Pat Cullen, general secretary of the RCN, stated that the proposed 3% wage increase “makes a difference to a nurse’s hourly wage of 72 pence.”
However, former UK health secretary Therese Coffey is convinced that nurses would not be offered a greater salary.
Midwives are also being encouraged to vote in favour of strike action in a four-week poll beginning on November 11.
Eighty percent of eligible members in Wales and two-thirds of eligible members in England participated in a consultation on the idea, with seventy-five percent expressing a desire to be voted on potential strikes.
Health workers in other unions are also being balloted for wage-related industrial action.
350,000 NHS employees in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, including porters, nurses, paramedics, and cleaners, are being asked by Unison to vote in favour of a strike.
A previously scheduled vote of its 50,000 members in Scotland has been deferred due to a fresh pay offer.
Mrs. Cullen continued, “This exploitation of nursing workers can no longer be permitted.”
“During the pandemic, politicians urged the public to applaud caregivers, but now they ignore the extraordinary efforts and expertise of nurses.
“Ministers have steadfastly resisted the mandate to solve the workforce crisis, which includes paying nurses decently, instead refusing any opportunity to take action. They have taken advantage of nurses’ willingness and resolve to behave in the best interests of their patients.
“Our members are exhausted. It is inexcusable to expect nursing professionals to work one day a week for free.
“Patients demand more from their elected officials. “Safe and effective care is being undermined by the inaction of governments, despite the fact that nursing personnel are working longer hours and doing everything they can.”
In a survey of more than 1,700 members of the general public conducted for the RCN, 46% reported avoiding NHS services in the past year, citing excessive wait times (50%) and the level of pressure on the NHS (42%).
The London Economics study examined the compensation of Agenda for Change contract employees.