Nurses to protest in Sheffield over '14% pay cut'
It's claimed nurses in South Yorkshire are being forced out of the job - because they're struggling to keep up with the cost of living
Last updated 27th Jul 2017
It's claimed nurses in South Yorkshire are so overstretched and underpaid many are quitting the job altogether.
Members of the Royal College of Nursing will protest in Sheffield later - urging the government to scrap a 1% pay cap on public sector workers.
The union says nurses have seen a 14% pay cut in real terms over the last 7 years - and it's forcing many out of the job because they can't keep up with the cost of living.
Kevin Terry's from the Yorkshire branch of the union - he says they need a pay rise:
"Members that we talk to are really angry, they're demoralised, they're upset - they just haven't had a pay rise. They're struglling to keep up with the cost of living. Even simle things like car parking at work continue to increase and they've not had a pay rise to ensure they can afford those sorts of things.
"Nurses are under pressure and overstretched - they're running to keep up with the amount of patient demand and they just simply can't deliver the type of safe quality care that they want. During the winter period we had services really really struggling. Thos so-called winter pressures are now year-long."
The union says there are 3,000 nursing vacancies in our region and one reason for that is pay.
Kevin says something needs to change:
"We're seeing nurses over-stretched and under pressure - as a result they are leaving the profession. Without being properly recognised and rewarded it's increasingly difficult for NHS trusts to attract the nurses that they need to deliver safe quality patient care.
"Nursing is an incredibly attractive and interesting and varied career but unless we sort out the problems around morale and the number of nurses that are needed and that we reward them adequately, we will just fail to attract the nurses that we need at the moment."
A spokesman for the Department for Health said:
"As the Secretary of State has made clear, the support and welfare of NHS staff is a top priority as they do a fantastic job - the government is committed to ensuring they can continue to deliver world-class patient care.”