MiP responds to the Chancellor’s spending review today

Commenting on the Chancellor’s spending review, Jon Restell, MiP chief executive, said:

“The government should not wait for a lengthy NHS pay review body process. An early pay rise would boost the morale of tired staff facing the toughest of winters and help fill tens of thousands of vacancies.

“Set in an austerity plan, any extra money for the NHS sounds good. But it may simply not be enough. The pandemic has set NHS waiting times back years, and there will be soaring new demands, particularly for mental health services.

“Covid-19 was a wake up call over our neglect of social care. Sadly, the chancellor did not hear it today. He has kept the sector dangerously underfunded.

“The public sector pay freeze is a terrible mistake. Now is the time to invest in public services, as all public services contribute to the wider health and economic performance of the nation.”