Steve Barclay said that NHS staff have to work harder to ‘justify’ more pay, reports The Independent.
DAUK co-chair Dr Matt Kneale wrote a response in The Independent to Steve Barclay’s comments:
“The notion that NHS staff need to “work harder” to alleviate the mounting pressure and justify pay increases is not only misguided, but deeply unfair. Doctors and nurses are already working incredibly hard, often to the point of exhaustion, and are not being given the resources and support they need to do their jobs effectively.
Instead of placing blame on the dedicated staff, we should be calling on the government to provide the necessary funding and resources for the NHS. This includes offering pay deals that reflect the demands of the job. Not doing this risks further alienating staff who are already leaving en masse.
The government must avoid a vicious cycle of staff losses compounding the conditions in which we work.”
