Campbell accuses Government of failing health service workers

4.08.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 18th Apr 2007

Liberal Democrats campaign for better health services

During Prime Minister's Questions today, Ming Campbell challenged Tony Blair to explain why nurses in England and Wales are not getting their full pay increase up front (as they are in Scotland). He also lambasted him for failing health care workers in general, including newly qualified nurses who can't get jobs, junior doctors and nursing assistants hit by the budget. The Royal College of Nursing has threatened to ballot its members on industrial action unless ministers reverse their decision to award nurses an "insulting" below-inflation pay deal. Nurses at the annual conference voted 97% in favour of investigating what forms of action could be taken.

Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson said "This is more evidence of the extent to which the NHS workforce is disillusioned with this government's yo-yo attitude to workforce planning and pay. It is unacceptable that nurses are paying the price for this government's incompetent handling of the NHS."

Sir Ming Campbell added "It's not just pay that's an issue in the NHS. Newly qualified nurses can't get jobs. Nursing Assistants will be hit by the chancellor's abolition of the 10 pence tax rate. And junior doctors are up in arms. Is there any wonder that the Government has lost the confidence of health care workers and their patients?"