Nurses & healthcare staff working 4 hours unpaid every week
A campaign is being launched to highlight the extra hours of unpaid work nursing staff are putting in every week.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said nurses were “propping up” the NHS as it goes through one of the most challenging times in its history.
Nurses and healthcare assistants are working long and stressful days, frequently not taking their breaks, and staying far beyond their shifts for no extra money, said the RCN.
At selected trusts in the English regions and Northern Ireland, RCN members will now be claiming for the actual hours they work, and seeking to have their contractual rights met.
Dr Peter Carter, RCN general secretary, said: “Day in and day out, nursing staff go above and beyond for their patients. Anyone who has had contact with a member of the nursing profession over recent years will know just how long their working day is and how hard they work.
“The current Government regularly says how much it values NHS staff but the failure to pay them for the extra work they do sends out a very different message.
“This is an election year and all parties should listen to nurses’ concerns about their pay and working conditions.
“Enough is now enough and the RCN is supporting our members to ensure that their contractual rights are met.”
Michael Brown, who chairs the RCN Council, added: “Every day we hear from members who are struggling with years of pay restraint and enormous job pressures.
“It’s high time that nurses and other healthcare professionals were paid a fair and accurate wage for the tough, demanding job that they do.
“We are committed to helping them achieve this.”
A study by Incomes Data Services found that nurses worked an average of almost four unpaid hours every week.
The campaign is the first of its kind by the RCN.
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