07.09.12
Regional pay plans would harm patient care – RCN
The Royal College of Nursing has stepped up its attack on regional pay proposals by NHS organisations in the south west of England.
Scrapping the national agreement on pay and employment conditions to save NHS resources would harm patient care and prove a counter-productive skills drain, the health union said, arguing that the 20 trusts who make up the South West Pay Terms and Conditions Consortium are focused on the “wrong solution” to funding challenges.
The union wants money saved from cutting drug waste, PFI deals and other sources, but the consortium has published discussion papers suggesting that longer working hours, less annual leave, and changes to sick pay and on-call payments could save 6,000 jobs in the region that may otherwise be lost.
Dr Peter Carter, RCN general secretary, said: “The cartel in the south west alleges that cutting terms and conditions of staff would save jobs. We say that is simply not true and what would actually happen is a skills drain as staff move away. Any trusts looking at such a draconian cost-cutting exercise should look again and think what this will mean to patient care.
“NHS organisations need to stop labouring under the illusion that regional pay is a panacea to their financial troubles. It is not. This would be a fool's economy. It is the wrong solution to the challenges these trusts are facing.”
A DH spokesman said: “Trade unions have not reached a national pay agreement with NHS employers over the past 18 months, prompting the South West Consortium to begin open and transparent discussions with staff and local trade unions. No decisions or even formal proposals have yet been made.”
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