The Royal College of Nursing has warned that patient care will suffer if community nursing staff are not compensated for milage.
The RCN are calling for urgent action on the NHS mileage and are asking for additional payments to be made to staff in order to keep them on the road and providing home based care to patients.
Currently mileage for NHS workers is paid at 56 pence per mile up to 3,500 miles and an additional 20- pence per mile for anything travelled over 3,500.
RCN General Secretary & Chief Executive Pat Cullen said: “The Chancellor needs to urgently help nursing staff hit by the eye-watering fuel prices in his Spring Statement.
“The situation is becoming unsustainable – what will happen if nursing staff can’t afford to fill up their cars? It is patients who will ultimately suffer.
“With many nursing staff already considering leaving the profession, this extra cost and pressure won’t do anything to encourage people to stay.”
According to the RCN, nursing staff have informed them that the hike in fuel costs can end up costing them around £100 more a month.
The college are urging that NHS employees who claim mileage are given an urgent payout to cover the additional costs they are currently facing as well as an immediate review of the pence per mile.
NHS mileage rates are only changed if there has been a 20 percent increase or decrease in motoring or fuel costs over 12-month average but currently petrol prices have only increased by around ten percent.
The current payment rates have been in place since July 2014 with the next review due to take place in April 2022.
