Matt Hancock AVOIDS Commons amid MPs’ fury over proposed 1% NHS pay rise

Matt Hancock facing the fury of MPs over a proposed 1 per cent pay rise for nurses today by sending his deputy to the Commons instead.

Labour demanded the Health Secretary answer an urgent question over the Department of Health’s recommendation to an independent pay review body last week.

The offer, which amounts to a pay cut once inflation is taken into account, sparked widespread condemnation and threats of strike action from nursing unions, coming after a year of backbreaking efforts to save lives from coronavirus. 

But Mr Hancock sent Social Care Minister Helen Whately in his place this afternoon to answer questions from MPs about an offer that has been branded ‘insulting’.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: ‘I am grateful for the minister, but where is the Secretary of State? 

‘Why isn’t the Secretary of State here to defend a Budget that puts up tax for hardworking family and cuts pay for hardworking nurses?

‘The Secretary of State has stood at that despatch box repeatedly waxing lyrical, describing NHS staff as heroes, saying they are the very best of us, and now he is cutting nurses’ pay.

‘Last summer, when asked by Andrew Marr if nurses deserved a real-terms pay rise, he replied ”well of course, I want to see people properly rewarded, absolutely” – and yet now he is cutting nurses’ pay.’

Ms Whately hit back by saying that ‘this International Women’s Day it is a shame he hasn’t got as female colleague at the despatch box on his side.’

Ms Whately continued: ‘In these difficult times, the Government has submitted its evidence to the pay review bodies and, as I said in my opening statement, those pay review bodies will report back to us.

‘The pay review bodies will look at a wide range of evidence, including, for instance, evidence from the trade unions, the situation of inflation and also the wider situation with the economy and pay levels.

‘They will report back and we will, of course, look at their recommendations very carefully.’

It came after Downing Street refused to rule out a one-off Covid bonus for nurses as it faces a tsunami of fury.

Boris Johnson is under pressure to up the offer made to an independent pay review, after ministers said it was the only ‘affordable’ increase.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already said that nurses in Scotland will receive a £500 bonus, and the Prime Minister’s official spokesman today refused to rule out a similar move in England.  

‘We have been clear that we think the 1 per cent pay rise is what is affordable,’ he said.

‘I’m not going to comment on speculation. We’ve set out what we think is affordable, it’s now for the pay review body to look at that and look at the other evidence and come forward with their recommendation.’

It came as new research suggested that three out of four NHS workers affected by the Government’s controversial pay offer are women. 

Unison’s head of health Sara Gorton said: ‘The overwhelming majority of staff working in the NHS are women. The people who’ve been working tirelessly to care for us during the pandemic, and who expected a decent pay rise to recognise their efforts and boost morale.

‘International Women’s Day would be the perfect opportunity for ministers to swiftly admit they’ve got this wrong and think again about their paltry pay offer.’

Labour, which commissioned the research, accused the Government of refusing to address these issues in any of its economic responses to the pandemic.

Marsha de Cordova, shadow women and equalities secretary, said: ‘Once again the Chancellor has chosen to turn his back on women who have experienced the worst economic and social impacts of the pandemic.

‘To give women on the NHS front lines a pay cut is just another example of how badly Boris Johnson’s government have consistently failed women.

‘Inaction risks further entrenching inequalities long into the future and turning the clock back on progress made over the last few decades.

‘The Government must guarantee NHS workers a real pay rise.’

Labour said women made up the majority of jobs in professions including nursing, midwives, health visitors and support roles.

The Government is facing growing anger over its recommended 1% pay rise, with some unions threatening industrial action, while Unison is urging the public to join a ‘slow handclap’ next Thursday in a show of support for NHS workers.

A Government spokesman said: ‘Over one million NHS staff continue to benefit from multi-year pay deals agreed with trade unions, which have delivered a pay rise of over 12 per cent for newly qualified nurses and will increase junior doctors’ pay scales by 8.2 per cent.

‘Pay rises in the rest of the public sector will be paused this year due to the challenging economic environment, but we will continue to provide pay rises for NHS workers, on top of a £513 million investment in professional development and increased recruitment. That’s with record numbers of doctors and 10,600 more nurses working in our NHS, and with nursing university applications up by over a third.

‘The independent pay review bodies will report in late spring and we will consider their recommendations carefully when we receive them.’

A Health Department spokeswoman added: ‘This takes into account an extra 0.7 per cent that was already committed in 2021/22 as part of the multi-year Agenda for Change deal (2018/19 – 20/21).’