New figures reveal there are 2,794 nurses and health visitors employed in Hackney facing a real-terms pay cut thanks to the Conservatives.  

Last week it was revealed that the Conservatives are offering nurses just a 1% pay rise – below expected inflation of 1.5%, and therefore a real-terms cut ─ even after a year in which nurses have fought on the frontline against the Coronavirus pandemic. Many nurses have said the proposal would see them take home just £3.50 extra per week. 

Yet in the last year, Ministers have found money for:

• A 40% pay rise for Dominic Cummings;
• £37bn on a track and trace with mixed results and councils like Hackney having to step-in to support local tracing efforts;
• £2bn in crony contracts for their friends and donors while Hackney brings £12 million of services in-house away from private contractors.  

Covering Hackney, there are 2,794 nurses and health visitors working in Hackney across the Hackney & City CCG, Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the East London NHS Foundation Trust. 

Publishing the data, Hackney Labour Cabinet Member for Health said:

“Clapping does not put food on the table or pay the bills, and after a year of our nurses saving lives, they deserve more.

“At the height of the infections nurses at the Homerton Hospital looked after 120 coronavirus patients in the first wave and 220 in the third at any one time ─ over the past year they have faced immense pressure and saved the lives of Hackney residents. Rewarding their hard work with a real-term pay cut is a disgrace from this Conservative government.

“Labour councils like Hackney are working hard to rebuild a better borough throughout this pandemic ─ coordinating 2.5 million items of PPE locally, bringing £12 million of private contracts back in-house, and stepping in to support local tracing efforts ─ while the Tories have prioritised a 40% pay rise to Dominic Cummings, wasted billions on a track and trace system that hasn’t worked properly, and found £2bn for crony contracts for their mates. The Tories’ priorities are wrong for Hackney and the country.”