This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jul/16/seven-day-nhs-plan-could-lead-to-big-staff-shortages-says-pay-review
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Seven-day NHS plan could lead to big staff shortages, says pay review | Seven-day NHS plan could lead to big staff shortages, says pay review |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| David Cameron’s dream of seven-day NHS services is under threat from big staff shortages and could lead to workers quitting in protest if allowances for unsocial hours are cut, the government’s independent pay advisers have warned. | David Cameron’s dream of seven-day NHS services is under threat from big staff shortages and could lead to workers quitting in protest if allowances for unsocial hours are cut, the government’s independent pay advisers have warned. |
| Setting out his “25-year vision for the NHS” in London, the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, warned that the cost of week-round services would be prohibitive without changes to existing premium payments for unsocial hours and shift work. Not counting overtime, these payments cost £1.8bn a year in England. | Setting out his “25-year vision for the NHS” in London, the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, warned that the cost of week-round services would be prohibitive without changes to existing premium payments for unsocial hours and shift work. Not counting overtime, these payments cost £1.8bn a year in England. |
| But the NHS pay review body, which recommends pay for non-medical staff, said the current payment system should not be abandoned without a wider review of health service salaries. | But the NHS pay review body, which recommends pay for non-medical staff, said the current payment system should not be abandoned without a wider review of health service salaries. |
| The warnings delighted health unions, which had been horrified by Hunt’s plans to introduce radical changes to pay and shift patterns. Hunt was also attacked by senior doctors over his threat to force them to work weekends, unless they do so by agreement within six weeks. The British Medical Association condemned the move as “a wholesale attack on doctors”, and there was speculation that consultants could consider taking industrial action in protest. | The warnings delighted health unions, which had been horrified by Hunt’s plans to introduce radical changes to pay and shift patterns. Hunt was also attacked by senior doctors over his threat to force them to work weekends, unless they do so by agreement within six weeks. The British Medical Association condemned the move as “a wholesale attack on doctors”, and there was speculation that consultants could consider taking industrial action in protest. |
| Amid the furore, Hunt also raised questions about whether the NHS could remain an entirely taxpayer-funded service in the long term. | Amid the furore, Hunt also raised questions about whether the NHS could remain an entirely taxpayer-funded service in the long term. |
| There was some good news for the government when the separate pay review body for doctors endorsed Hunt’s moves to abolish consultants’ right not to work weekends if they did not want to. | There was some good news for the government when the separate pay review body for doctors endorsed Hunt’s moves to abolish consultants’ right not to work weekends if they did not want to. |
| But the body that recommends pay levels for non-medical staff said Hunt’s plans for a seven-day NHS needed more resources. | But the body that recommends pay levels for non-medical staff said Hunt’s plans for a seven-day NHS needed more resources. |
| Options listed in government proposals for non-medics earlier this year included removing unsocial hours payments for all or part of the weekend, lowering existing rates for Sundays and bank holidays, changing night-shift starts and “rewarding” staff for being flexible in the hours they worked, citing AA pay structures as a possible model. | Options listed in government proposals for non-medics earlier this year included removing unsocial hours payments for all or part of the weekend, lowering existing rates for Sundays and bank holidays, changing night-shift starts and “rewarding” staff for being flexible in the hours they worked, citing AA pay structures as a possible model. |
| The pay review body recognised “affordability issues” but said experience at sites already piloting seven-day services suggested these were largely due “to the need to invest in extra resources, in particular additional staff, to provide services in the extra hours”. | |
| Cutting existing payments for those who already worked unsocial hours, including midwives , ambulance workers – whose pay is determined separately – and many nurses, would amount to a cut in their total earnings. | |
| “While we cannot estimate figures with any accuracy, it seems likely that at least some of these staff would not be prepared to work their current unsocial hours under such circumstances,” the pay advisers said. | “While we cannot estimate figures with any accuracy, it seems likely that at least some of these staff would not be prepared to work their current unsocial hours under such circumstances,” the pay advisers said. |
| “Given the number of years it takes to train suitably skilled and qualified staff we believe a substantial barrier to the expansion of seven-day services could be insufficient numbers of appropriately trained staff.” | “Given the number of years it takes to train suitably skilled and qualified staff we believe a substantial barrier to the expansion of seven-day services could be insufficient numbers of appropriately trained staff.” |
| There were potential benefits for staff in terms of flexibility, work-life balance and increased job satisfaction from improving high-quality care as well as the case for “some adjustments” to the existing system, said the report. | There were potential benefits for staff in terms of flexibility, work-life balance and increased job satisfaction from improving high-quality care as well as the case for “some adjustments” to the existing system, said the report. |
| “However, if done in isolation, this could risk the morale and motivation of staff, damage employee relations, exacerbate existing shortages, and, in particular, risk the good will of staff already working across seven days.” | “However, if done in isolation, this could risk the morale and motivation of staff, damage employee relations, exacerbate existing shortages, and, in particular, risk the good will of staff already working across seven days.” |
| Barrie Brown, head of health at union Unite, said the pay body report “has put the kibosh” on government and employers’ claims that unsocial hours payments were an obstacle to seven-day services. | Barrie Brown, head of health at union Unite, said the pay body report “has put the kibosh” on government and employers’ claims that unsocial hours payments were an obstacle to seven-day services. |
| Christina McAnea, head of health at Unison, said: “If NHS workers were not paid more for working at night, and over weekends and public holidays, many would vote with their feet, and either leave the health service altogether or seek more lucrative agency work. | Christina McAnea, head of health at Unison, said: “If NHS workers were not paid more for working at night, and over weekends and public holidays, many would vote with their feet, and either leave the health service altogether or seek more lucrative agency work. |
| “The real barriers to a safe seven-day NHS are underfunding, understaffing and lack of employee involvement.” | “The real barriers to a safe seven-day NHS are underfunding, understaffing and lack of employee involvement.” |
| Speaking in the Commons, Hunt defended his plans, saying the NHS was working towards recruiting extra doctors to cover seven-day care and stressing it was affordable within funding already promised. | Speaking in the Commons, Hunt defended his plans, saying the NHS was working towards recruiting extra doctors to cover seven-day care and stressing it was affordable within funding already promised. |
| Earlier, asked if he could guarantee that the current NHS funding model – with the £117bn budget solely provided by taxpayers – could survive for the next 25 years, the duration of his plan, Hunt replied: “I am confident but I don’t have a crystal ball. If I look at the challenges we face in delivering the Forward View [NHS England’s blueprint for the service’s transformation by 2020], I think that our model will work. But it’s going to need a huge effort from NHS organisations and NHS leaders to deliver that.” | Earlier, asked if he could guarantee that the current NHS funding model – with the £117bn budget solely provided by taxpayers – could survive for the next 25 years, the duration of his plan, Hunt replied: “I am confident but I don’t have a crystal ball. If I look at the challenges we face in delivering the Forward View [NHS England’s blueprint for the service’s transformation by 2020], I think that our model will work. But it’s going to need a huge effort from NHS organisations and NHS leaders to deliver that.” |
| Labour claimed that Hunt’s failure to rule out any change to the existing system could mean that charges might ultimately be introduced for NHS services. | Labour claimed that Hunt’s failure to rule out any change to the existing system could mean that charges might ultimately be introduced for NHS services. |
| “Jeremy Hunt’s refusal to guarantee that an NHS free-at-the-point-of-use will continue under the Tories is very worrying indeed, though sadly not surprising given he once put his name to a pamphlet arguing the NHS should be replaced with an insurance-based system,” said shadow health minister Jamie Reed. | “Jeremy Hunt’s refusal to guarantee that an NHS free-at-the-point-of-use will continue under the Tories is very worrying indeed, though sadly not surprising given he once put his name to a pamphlet arguing the NHS should be replaced with an insurance-based system,” said shadow health minister Jamie Reed. |