I believe that the passion, commitment, and specialist knowledge of our NHS staff is part of what makes our NHS so special. In particular, I recognise the sacrifice, commitment and dedication of our NHS workers over the past year. I believe it is important to honour this, but I know that pandemic has had real consequences on public finances which cannot be ignored.
The Government’s recommendation for a 1 per cent pay rise for NHS staff must be considered in the broader context where all but the lowest paid workers across the public sector have had their pay frozen for 2021/22. In addition, we should not forget that over one million NHS staff also continue to benefit from multi-year pay deals agreed with trade unions, including a pay rise of over 12 per cent for newly qualified nurses, with the average nurse pay now £34,000 per year, and that junior doctors' pay has been increased by 8.2 per cent. It’s also worth bearing in mind that compared to the private sector, NHS staff has a significantly higher level of job security and one of the best pension schemes in the UK.
This comes at a time when the gap between the wages of those in the private sector, and those in the public sector, has increased significantly. According to the Office for National Statistics, in the six months to September 2020, private sector wages decreased by 1 per cent while public sector employees saw their wages rise by nearly 4 per cent over the same period. The Independent Pay Review Bodies will make recommendations in late Spring, when they will be considered by the Government. It is right that the Government does not pre-empt these recommendations.
I also welcome the investment that the Government has already made in the NHS workforce, including £513m in professional development and increased recruitment, £30m on staff mental health support including wellbeing hubs and occupational health support, and the new bursary programme giving at least £5,000 each year to new nursing, midwifery, and Allied Health professional students.
I will, of course, continue to monitor this issue closely