Welfare Reform on the Web (March 2001): National Health Service - Funding

EIGHTEENTH REPORT ON NURSING STAFF, MIDWIVES, AND HEALTH VISITORS 2001

Review Body for Nursing Staff, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine

London: TSO, 2000 (Cm 4991)

Recommends a 3.7% pay increase for nurses in 2001/02. Senior nurses at the top of their pay band will receive between 5.2 and 5.7% plus extra cost of living allowances for those in expensive areas like London.

EIGHTEENTH REPORT ON PROFESSIONS ALLIED TO MEDICINE 2001

Review Body for Nursing Staff, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine

London: TSO, 2000 (Cm 4992)

Recommends a 3.7% pay increase for PAM staff in 2001/02.

FEARS AS JUNIOR DOCTORS' PAY EXCEEDS CONSULTANTS'

N. Timmins

Financial Times, Jan 8th 2001, p.2

Junior doctors who work more than 56 hours a week are entitled to a 62% rise in their salary from December 2000. This will rise to 70% in December 2001 and to 100% in December 2002. For a senior registrar this means pay of £57,000 a year now, while consultants' salaries start at just below £50,000 a year. This situation is unsustainable as it will put pressure on hospital budgets and breed resentment among consultants.

GOVERNMENT "DEMANDS" NHS ECONOMIES

N. Timmins

Financial Times, Jan 10th 2001, p.4

The NHS Confederation is claiming that government is looking for cash savings of 2% from the NHS in 2001/02 to speed up its modernisation plans, despite having conceded that such economies are damaging the quality of service for patients.

LABOUR GAMBLES ON MODEST RISE FOR NURSES

M. White

Guardian, Dec 18th 2000, p.1

Reports that the government is to gamble on NHS morale by offering most nurses a modest pay rise of 3.7%, only 0.5% above inflation. Senior nurses will be given a more generous rise of £1,000 a year. This may not be sufficient to entice ex-nurses back to the NHS.

NEW WHISTLEBLOWER HOTLINE TO STOP NHS PRESCRIPTION FRAUD

M. Woolf

Independent, Dec 14th 2000, p.10

Announces launch of a confidential phone line to allow NHS staff to report incidences of suspected fraud, including the writing of false prescriptions.

PAY RISES FOR DOCTORS AND NURSES "NO WINTER TONIC"

D. Charter

Times, Dec 19th 2000, p.6

Nurses on the newly qualified and staff nurse grades will receive a 3.7% pay rise. Senior nurses at the top of their pay grade will receive between 5.2% and 5.7%, plus extra cost of living allowances for those in expensive areas like London. GPs will receive 3.9%. There is general agreement that rises of this level will not encourage health professionals to return to the NHS.

(See also Financial Times, Dec 19th 2000, p.4; Daily Telegraph, Dec 19th 2000, p.8; Guardian, Dec 19th 2000, p.2; Independent, Dec 19th 2000, p.1).

WINTER FUELS THE HEALTH SERVICE WOES

G. Monbiot

Guardian, Dec 21st 2000, p.20

Argues that the government is subtly privatising the NHS. Health services used to receive a single block grant to cover all their needs. Now every patient commands a separate account, enabling trusts to start charging for certain services. Thus, from next year, patients in "intermediate care" will be charged for services other than nursing. Private financing of new hospital buildings is leading to service reductions as cuts have to be made to repay the contractors.

WYCOMBE TAKES THE INITIATIVE

S. Ward

Public Finance, Dec 8th-14th 2000, p.28-29

South Buckinghamshire now has two modernised hospitals thanks to a Private Finance Initiative Scheme. In spite of teething troubles and a reduction in bed numbers, support for the project remains high.