Received from: CSP
Merged into composite 11
Congress asserts that health and care workers have never been more vital to the health and welfare of the nation. This year’s global pandemic has brought this more than ever before to the forefront of the public mind and thrown into sharp relief the contributions made and the greater exposure to risk. But these contributions are not new – while we are in exceptional times, this is the daily work of CSP members and all NHS workers.
The NHS is facing a workforce crisis – tens of thousands of vacant posts, rising waiting times and unmet patient need. And that is without the huge demands that will be placed on the service by the restoration of services suspended during the pandemic and by the long-term rehabilitation needs of Covid survivors.
It is critical that the NHS can retain staff, can attract new staff and can expand staffing to meet the health needs of the UK population. Fair and decent pay is central to this and is an important indicator of the value that public service workers feel they are accorded.
Congress believes that delivering this is an urgent priority that cannot wait until next April. The current three-year NHS pay agreement has only been a small first step towards redressing the damage done to public sector pay by the preceding decade of pay restraint.
Congress calls on the TUC to join the health unions in calling for a meaningful and immediate pay rise for NHS staff.
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
AMENDMENT
- Add at the end of paragraph 2: “This is especially crucial as many Covid survivors will themselves be NHS staff, and many thousands more will be facing significant long-term psychological distress due to their experiences at work during the pandemic.”
FDA