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Tories 'planning to freeze wages for doctors and nurses'
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor2 Jul 2009
The political row over public spending switched back to the Tories today after shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley declared the NHS cannot afford "inflationary" pay rises for staff.
Labour and health unions seized on his remarks as proof that the Conservatives were planning a real terms pay freeze for doctors, nurses and midwives.
Mr Lansley's comments came as David Cameron warned that the Government should start making budget savings now to ease cuts later.
"I do think it is wrong to be going into 2010 with actually quite aggressive spending increases for 2010 when we should be starting to make savings now," Mr Cameron told the Local Government Association conference.
Gordon Brown last night admitted for the first time that "cuts" to public spending would be needed. Mr Cameron said: "I do think that one of the ways to avoid very deep cuts in the future is to make a start now."
Mr Lansley ran into trouble after giving an interview in which he suggested health service pay should be set locally and separately from Whitehall budgets. His office then issued a clarification statement, declaring that, "Future NHS allocations will not be able to accommodate inflationary staff costs".
It added: "We urgently need to move to a situation where the NHS delivers more for less, which will mean rising productivity and lower unit costs."
Today, Mr Lansley's office insisted that by "inflationary staff costs" they did not mean "above-inflation". "What we are saying is that the NHS in future years will not be able to afford massive pay rises," a spokesman said.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham said: "Once again, Andrew Lansley is all over the place, showing the chaos at the heart of Conservative spending plans. First he says NHS pay can be set without reference to the overall government budget, which anyone who works in the service can tell you is absurd.
"Now, under pressure to explain this amazing statement, he hints at pay cuts for NHS staff."
Unison chief Karen Jennings told the Standard: "Is it any wonder that nurses, midwives, paramedics and others are suspicious when the Tories say that the NHS is safe in their hands? Any move to a locally-based system and we could see a string of industrial problems."
Reader views (3)
Clearly in the current circumstances and recession we all have to cut back on waste. At least they are honest. The UK government kitty is very empty...
- Georgie, Islington, London, 03/07/2009 08:32
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Er...good. About time our tax was spent on hospitals rather than inflating the salaries of doctors and consultants.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one, 02/07/2009 16:24
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Staff pay rises, particularly for those at the sharp end, and not GPs and consultants, can easily be made, by getting rid of bloated management hierarchies (empires).
This govt contributed massively to the problem by cravenly caving in to EU demands on hours, which had already been cut.
Economies are necessary, particularly after the free ride given for the last 12 years. To deny this fact is playing politics with the NHS, and 2 kitchens is a past master at this, whilst denying and culpability for any of his wrong doings, or criminal activities, relating to the NHS, Services, pensioners, bank regulation, fiscal and other (mis)management, expenses, abuse of power and appointments systems and general mendacity.
There many economies that can be made without really impacting services, but he needs his army of surplus bodies (journey persons) to vote for him and his.
Election now, before it is too late to prevent real and lasting damage.
- Hugh, Middx, 02/07/2009 15:24
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