Merseyside nurses say their work through the Covid-19 pandemic is being undervalued following the announcement they will receive a 1% pay rise.
The BBC reports that some health unions are demanding a 12.5% pay increase for nurses for their work during the pandemic.
Sophie Fay, a nurse at Aintree University Hospital felt demoralised by the news.
Miss Fay said: “It does feel like a bit of a kick in the face really.
“Especially when you’ve got statements from the Prime Minister saying how he owes his life to nurses.
“Encouraging everyone to clap on a Thursday then just gives us a £3.50 a week pay rise.”
Miss Fay also feels the work of her and her colleagues has been underappreciated.
Miss Fay said: “When you see comments from members of the public saying they chose to work in that field it’s very undervaluing.
“We did choose to work in that field but that’s because we wanted to help people.
“You don’t really know how taxing twelve and a half hour shifts are until you’ve done them.
“You feel like you put in all this effort and it’s not really being recognised.”
Some Conservative MPs are suggesting a one-off bonus should be given to nurses in place of a greater pay rise.
Nurses believe this does not go far enough and they should be rewarded with a greater pay rise.
Miss Fay said: “It would be nice to get that extra bit of money.
“But at the same time it comes back to the principle of we’re still very long overdue a pay rise I think.
“Even though Covid has increased the pressures at work these pressures are still there all the time.”
Potential strike action has been hinted at should nurses not get the pay rise they are demanding.
Miss Fay would support any nurses on strike but believes it is not the right course of action.
Miss Fay said: “I feel like with a strike it would only negatively affect the wrong people.
“If the Government want to listen they will.
“The only people that are negatively affected are patients because they’re not getting the care they deserve.”
Featured image credit – Chris Howells (Creative Commons – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)
