England's nurses are less valuable
The existence of a Scottish Parliament and the Barnet Formula and the absence of an English Parliament has now resulted in the ultimate insult to civil servants.
It is arguable that among all the state's employees the police and those in the medical profession provide the most important skilled resource. So the fact that nurses are getting a 2.5% staged pay rise ought to be a cause for public condemnation in itself — why should state employees get an effective pay cut because the Chancellor has misspent our tax?
But far worse is that nurses working in England and Wales will get their 2.5% pay rise in stages (making it worth 2% in real terms) while nurses in Scotland will get their 2.5% straight away.
Why would this be? In the simplest terms it is because the Scottish NHS is financially better off than the English one due to the Barnet Formula. Also the Scottish Parliament can ensure that Health funding is spent for Scotland's benefit while the British Parliament in London ensures that Health spending is focussed for Britain's benefit... No-one considers the separate needs of England. The Welsh Assembly, meanwhile, doesn't have the same powers as Scotland and is, on this issue, as badly saddled as England except that spending is more per head in Wales.
The CEP's Vice Chairman said:
It is arguable that among all the state's employees the police and those in the medical profession provide the most important skilled resource. So the fact that nurses are getting a 2.5% staged pay rise ought to be a cause for public condemnation in itself — why should state employees get an effective pay cut because the Chancellor has misspent our tax?
But far worse is that nurses working in England and Wales will get their 2.5% pay rise in stages (making it worth 2% in real terms) while nurses in Scotland will get their 2.5% straight away.
Why would this be? In the simplest terms it is because the Scottish NHS is financially better off than the English one due to the Barnet Formula. Also the Scottish Parliament can ensure that Health funding is spent for Scotland's benefit while the British Parliament in London ensures that Health spending is focussed for Britain's benefit... No-one considers the separate needs of England. The Welsh Assembly, meanwhile, doesn't have the same powers as Scotland and is, on this issue, as badly saddled as England except that spending is more per head in Wales.
The CEP's Vice Chairman said:
"... the annual £11 billion of English taxpayers’ money sent north of the border, which could be used to pay our nurses a fair wage and give cancer sufferers life-saving drugs. English MPs should be ashamed of themselves. We must have an English Parliament to stand up for England".Those of you worried that I haven't mentioned the non-viability of the NHS must understand that this post is intended to point out the apalling deal England's nurses are getting.