Your thoughts on NHS pay

Pay may not be the main motivator, but it is a critical component of being, and feeling, valued at work.  And of course, fair pay is essential to support our lives outside work.  In November 2020, we undertook a pay survey of CSP members employed by the NHS to inform our evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body, ahead of its recommendations to Government about NHS pay rates for 2021/22. We have now submitted our evidence and continued our call for a significant and early pay rise for all Agenda for Change NHS staff.

Some of the key survey findings are shown here. They indicate the importance of pay, not only in recognising your contribution to the pandemic,  but also in acknowledging the value of your work in delivering high quality physiotherapy services whatever the challenges in the NHS. There is no doubt that we are currently in a difficult economic climate but we believe a substantial pay rise is essential and to do otherwise would be a false economy. The Government must show the value it places on NHS staff for their contribution to the nation’s health and well-being and also ensure that the NHS is well placed to recruit and retain the workforce for the future.  

Physiotherapy services in all sectors are a vital part of supporting health across the UK. NHS pay often acts as the benchmark elsewhere and is therefore crucial in determining the value placed on physiotherapy across all sectors.

• 6123 survey respondents. The largest ever for a CSP pay survey.
• We also ran 12 focus groups, with more than 100 members across the UK
• 72% of respondents were satisfied with the quality of care they give patients ‘As a profession we have been essential workers throughout the whole of Covid’ CSP member, West Midlands
• 66% dissatisfied with their level of pay ‘A pay rise would give a distinct morale boost; help us to get through these very difficult times’.  CSP member, North West
• 54% Reported that Covid-19 service demands had increased workload ‘Lots of patients will be experiencing long term effects of Covid, or the results of lock down. As a profession we are going to be key to improving the public health’ CSP member, East of England
• 62% of respondents’ pay deteriorated relative to their costs of living last year ‘You get your pay at the end of the month and you’re like ‘Oh wow, is this it’.  It would be nice after a stressful week if we could have a nice dinner, but you can’t.  That’s upsetting, isn’t it?’ CSP member, London
• 77% frequently feel stressed and overloaded at work ‘As soon as you start carrying vacancies, staff satisfaction vastly reduces. Stress levels go up’ CSP member, West Midlands
• 80% work unpaid overtime in a typical week
• 10% work five or more unpaid hours in a normal week
• 47% regularly undertake duties which should be carried out at a higher grade‘ My role has completely changed from the actual job description’  CSP member, Wales
• 68% report frequent staff shortages in their working area last year ‘All we’re doing is crisis management. We are not able to fill the role that we were employed to do’  CSP member, London

58% at least seriously considered leaving NHS employment last year.

• Leaving either for work in an alternative sector or profession, or through early retirement. 

For respondents who considered leaving the NHS, the most important factors were:

1. Value of pay
2. Workplace stress
3. Impact of job on health