National News Another £15bn for Test & Trace this year

[OUFCGav]

Another £15billion to go on the failed test & trace programme this year to add to the £22billion last year. So £3.50 a week extra is "all they can afford" for Nurses according to Nadine Dorries,
the private sector still on the gravy train though.

Test and Trace bill to pass £37 billion after quiet Budget cash injection

The London Economic - Test and Trace will get another £15 billion in government cash, the small print of the Budget has confirmed - Politics

www.thelondoneconomic.com

 

[SteMerritt]

It's not just that, from googling 'cost of UK furlough scheme' (one of the Government's successes) , it appears that has cost £47 Billion so far, so Test and Trace has cost almost as much as that. Staggering amount of money for minimal return.

 

[Essexyellows]

Depends how long T&T is going to go on for........ could be a long while yet.
They must be employing a lot of folk to T&T 100k a week, plus all the kit etc.

NHS Test and Trace performance tracker

Our analysis on the performance of NHS Test and Trace from 1 October 2020 to 5 May 2021.

www.health.org.uk

As for the pay "storm"... the NHS & the Unions etc agreed a longer term deal that commenced in 2018.
Rather than staff receiving an annual increment plus the cost of living, the much lauded 1%, we get more over a longer period as experience is gained.
So some one on a Band 5, average Nurse start point if qualified, gets...
<1 year experience £24,907
1-2 years £24,907
2-3 years £26,970
3-4 years £26,970
4-5 years £27,416
5-6 years £27,416
6-7 years £30,615
7+ years £30,615

Plus their cost of living....
Source: https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/wo.../nhs-pay-and-benefits/agenda-change-pay-rates

 

[SteMerritt]

Depends how long T&T is going to go on for........ could be a long while yet.
They must be employing a lot of folk to T&T 100k a week, plus all the kit etc.

I think NASA probably have a larger wage bill, and they got to Mars for under a tenth of that. I'd love to see a breakdown of where the money has gone.

 

[Marked Ox]

I think NASA probably have a larger wage bill, and they got to Mars for under a tenth of that. I'd love to see a breakdown of where the money has gone.

Also, they haven't put anything in the budget for vaccinations or delivering them after 2022 yet the Govt have discussed the likely need for ongoing vaccinations.

 

[Paul Cannell]

I think NASA probably have a larger wage bill, and they got to Mars for under a tenth of that. I'd love to see a breakdown of where the money has gone.

Hardly, they're probably using their own staff and not paying SERCO weekly consulting rates.

I'll bet we never see a breakdown of the costs.

 

[Sarge]

Another £15billion to go on the failed test & trace programme this year to add to the £22billion last year. So £3.50 a week extra is "all they can afford" for Nurses according to Nadine Dorries,
the private sector still on the gravy train though.

Test and Trace bill to pass £37 billion after quiet Budget cash injection

The London Economic - Test and Trace will get another £15 billion in government cash, the small print of the Budget has confirmed - Politics

www.thelondoneconomic.com

Meanwhile....

 

[Berliner]

Meanwhile....

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Do I have to look her in the eyes six times, or what?

 

[Sarge]

Do I have to look her in the eyes six times, or what?

1% pay rise per look ?

 

[QR]

As for the pay "storm"... the NHS & the Unions etc agreed a longer term deal that commenced in 2018.

Yes but the whole point is the pandemic has hit since then and there should be financial recognition of their heroric efforts and sacrifices. Thursday's claps don't pay the bills.

 

[Manorlounger]

Yes but the whole point is the pandemic has hit since then and there should be financial recognition of their heroric efforts and sacrifices. Thursday's claps don't pay the bills.

For once I am in agreement with you. (don't tell everyone)

Aside from recognition, has no-one in Whitehall heard of "recruitment and retention"? Yes, there are recruits joining but, they will barely make up the numbers of all those who are going to retire and/or leave. (but not the experience and knowledge)

 

[Essexyellows]

Yes but the whole point is the pandemic has hit since then and there should be financial recognition of their heroric efforts and sacrifices. Thursday's claps don't pay the bills.

Why?
We (I`m NHS) have all had to work hard, very hard. For a year or so and its not over yet.
We (I`m NHS) have all been paid 100% plus OT. Millions are on 80%.
We (I`m NHS) have all retained our holiday entitlements (33 days after 10 years service plus BH`s).
We (I`m NHS have all retained pensions etc.
We (I`m NHS) have all retained a 37.5 hour working week.
We (I`m NHS) have all retained fantastic internal support from Occy Health through to Mental Health.

I`ve been in 15 years, we`ve had one very hard year..... and still getting a cost of living rise unlike your bin men, your council staff, your supermarket staff and many other key workers who have also got bills to pay.

 

[Peterdev]

I’m personally amazed that the budget was so well presented and generally well accepted and then the nurses get offered a pittance.
Having seen so many directors paid millions of pounds extra.
Also noticed that the managing director of Lloyds leaves with a big pay off whist presiding over large scale redundancies...shame on you sir

 

[QR]

Why?
We (I`m NHS) have all had to work hard, very hard. For a year or so and its not over yet.
We (I`m NHS) have all been paid 100% plus OT. Millions are on 80%.
We (I`m NHS) have all retained our holiday entitlements (33 days after 10 years service plus BH`s).
We (I`m NHS have all retained pensions etc.
We (I`m NHS) have all retained a 37.5 hour working week.
We (I`m NHS) have all retained fantastic internal support from Occy Health through to Mental Health.

I`ve been in 15 years, we`ve had one very hard year..... and still getting a cost of living rise unlike your bin men, your council staff, your supermarket staff and many other key workers who have also got bills to pay.

If T&Cs are so good why is there such a high vacancy rate and why is there a need to try an entice staff from abroad?

 

[werthersoriginal]

Why?
We (I`m NHS) have all had to work hard, very hard. For a year or so and its not over yet.
We (I`m NHS) have all been paid 100% plus OT. Millions are on 80%.
We (I`m NHS) have all retained our holiday entitlements (33 days after 10 years service plus BH`s).
We (I`m NHS have all retained pensions etc.
We (I`m NHS) have all retained a 37.5 hour working week.
We (I`m NHS) have all retained fantastic internal support from Occy Health through to Mental Health.

I`ve been in 15 years, we`ve had one very hard year..... and still getting a cost of living rise unlike your bin men, your council staff, your supermarket staff and many other key workers who have also got bills to pay.

I suspect you’re on a higher salary than nurses. I don’t expect the better paid people are complaining but nurses are not well paid and there seems to a problem with retaining them ... plus the ‘optics’ are very bad, not that I care whether the Tories look good.

 

[Steve McAvoy]

Picking a fight with Nursing staff/front-line careers is a smart move. They generally, in my experience, try to weigh their commitment to patients against the strategy of withdrawing their labour. Industrial action is unlikely, Johnson gets to look like a strong leader with the usual patriotic drivel ‘we are all in this together’ invariably played through the right wing Press. Time for another round of applause on a Thursday night (the cheap option).
I listened to a Nursing union leader referring to Dorries as ‘Nadine’, a pretty good indicator of the likelihood of industrial action. Nurses do valuable, strong work; if only they could value themselves accordingly.

 

[Marked Ox]

Picking a fight with Nursing staff/front-line careers is a smart move. They generally, in my experience, try to weigh their commitment to patients against the strategy of withdrawing their labour. Industrial action is unlikely, Johnson gets to look like a strong leader with the usual patriotic drivel ‘we are all in this together’ invariably played through the right wing Press. Time for another round of applause on a Thursday night (the cheap option).
I listened to a Nursing union leader referring to Dorries as ‘Nadine’, a pretty good indicator of the likelihood of industrial action. Nurses do valuable, strong work; if only they could value themselves accordingly.

Covid-19: Nurses prepare for strikes over 1% NHS pay rise in England

A union calls the proposed increase in England "pitiful", but ministers say money is tight.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Wallop]

Picking a fight with Nursing staff/front-line careers is a smart move. They generally, in my experience, try to weigh their commitment to patients against the strategy of withdrawing their labour. Industrial action is unlikely, Johnson gets to look like a strong leader with the usual patriotic drivel ‘we are all in this together’ invariably played through the right wing Press. Time for another round of applause on a Thursday night (the cheap option).
I listened to a Nursing union leader referring to Dorries as ‘Nadine’, a pretty good indicator of the likelihood of industrial action. Nurses do valuable, strong work; if only they could value themselves accordingly.

It is similar to football clubs and fans.

Fans and nurses are likely to be far more loyal to their club/employer than a casual customer/general worker.

Ergo the club/Government doesn’t have to try too hard to retain them if it doesn’t want to.

 

[Manorlounger]

Picking a fight with Nursing staff/front-line careers is a smart move. They generally, in my experience, try to weigh their commitment to patients against the strategy of withdrawing their labour. Industrial action is unlikely, Johnson gets to look like a strong leader with the usual patriotic drivel ‘we are all in this together’ invariably played through the right wing Press. Time for another round of applause on a Thursday night (the cheap option).
I listened to a Nursing union leader referring to Dorries as ‘Nadine’, a pretty good indicator of the likelihood of industrial action. Nurses do valuable, strong work; if only they could value themselves accordingly.

Really? A smart move? And what would be your experience in matters relating to NHS nursing staff?

I'll grant you that many NHS staff would rather not withdraw their labour but, don't for one minute imagine that they would never take action. Likewise, do you not think that public opinion would be in their favour?

And, as an aside, most of the staff on a ward would not be nurses but carers. Low paid and with very little career prospects. Don't think for one minute that they are happy to carry on working for an extra 1%. Do you even know how much that would be?

 

[Followtheox1]

Why?
We (I`m NHS) have all had to work hard, very hard. For a year or so and its not over yet.
We (I`m NHS) have all been paid 100% plus OT. Millions are on 80%.
We (I`m NHS) have all retained our holiday entitlements (33 days after 10 years service plus BH`s).
We (I`m NHS have all retained pensions etc.
We (I`m NHS) have all retained a 37.5 hour working week.
We (I`m NHS) have all retained fantastic internal support from Occy Health through to Mental Health.

I`ve been in 15 years, we`ve had one very hard year..... and still getting a cost of living rise unlike your bin men, your council staff, your supermarket staff and many other key workers who have also got bills to pay.

I'm a frontline health worker. Honestly, I think that any pay rise should be aimed at the lower paid members of the health service. Say band 5 and below i.e the porters, cleaners and entry level nursing staff. I don't want a payrise in my current position and won't be voting for action. I have a job, can pay my bills, have good leave entitlement and don't feel a payrise is justified in the current climate. However, I do feel it is justified for lower band staff.