Scottish Labour Debate: Scrap the NHS Pay Cap

Anas Sarwar S5M-05479 That the Parliament believes that the NHS pay cap should be scrapped and that NHS staff should be given a real terms pay rise. Shona Robison S5M-05479.3 As an amendment to motion S5M-05479 in the name of Anas Sarwar (Scrap the NHS Pay Cap), leave out from “believes” to end and insert “notes that the NHS Independent Pay Review body helps determine NHS pay on a UK wide basis, and that the Scottish Government has consistently implemented the body's recommendations; further notes that, as a result of recommended pay uplifts being passed on in full in Scotland, unlike other parts of the UK, band 5 Agenda for Change staff members in Scotland will be up to £312 better paid than their counterparts in England and Wales; welcomes that, over and above the pay recommendations, due to Scottish Government action for the lowest paid, entry level NHS support staff in Scotland are paid more than £1,128 more than their counterparts in England; further welcomes that no compulsory redundancies, free nurse student tuition and nurse student bursaries are being retained in Scotland, but is concerned about the impact of their loss on the NHS in other parts of the UK; however, recognises that NHS staff in Scotland have faced real challenges as a result of inflation outpacing uplifts at the top of pay bands; believes that the best resolution will be found by the Scottish Government working in partnership with NHS staff representatives; therefore calls on the Scottish Government to seek agreement with the staff side, through their representatives and unions, to jointly commission work, developing an evidence base to assess the impact of pay restraint, using this evidence as part of the submission to the next pay round of the NHS Independent Pay Review body; remains concerned that Brexit is continuing to be a cause of uncertainty for staff from other parts of the EU working in the NHS, and believes that the rights of these committed staff should be guaranteed immediately, and that maintaining freedom of movement within the EU is vital to sustain the health service for the future.” Donald Cameron S5M-05479.2 As an amendment to motion S5M-05479 in the name of Anas Sarwar (Scrap the NHS Pay Cap), leave out from "the NHS pay cap" to end and insert "NHS staff deserve to be valued and supported; notes that the Scottish Government has let down NHS staff by failing to carry out long term workforce planning; acknowledges that nearly half of the NHS workforce believes that there are not enough staff for them to do their job properly; believes that widespread short staffing is damaging for staff morale and patient safety; considers that recruitment and retention issues are in large part due to working conditions; calls for efficiencies to be made in areas such as spending on agency and locum staff, and notes concerns from groups such as the Royal College of Nursing over staffing levels in NHS Scotland."