Thank you for taking the time to write to me to raise this important issue.
I agree that we must provide our vital frontline NHS staff with fair renumeration for their efforts during this pandemic and to bring down waiting lists in its aftermath. I know that nurses in particular have worked and continue to work exceptionally hard in often very difficult and distressing conditions.
Staff right across the NHS have played a vital role in treating so many people infected with COVID-19, as well of course as continuing to enable the treatment of all of the ordinary health conditions that have certainly not gone away over the past year. We owe them an all enormous debt of gratitude.
I am currently corresponding with Ministers to express my thoughts on the ongoing debate regarding NHS pay. I do understand the concerns that many of my constituents have on this, and I would like to see a scheme of bonuses put in place for nurses and other NHS staff who have done crucial work and put themselves at risk to save others during the pandemic.
Clearly the next round of pay increases in the NHS and across the wider public service will need to take careful account of rising costs facing staff at the moment. However, I do not think that it would be right to increase NHS pay at a faster rate than for staff working in other public services. This would not be fair on other vital frontline rolls like the police, fire service and teachers, and would run the risk of being inflationary in itself. We must avoid the danger of wage-price spirals worsening our situation - high headline pay rises are no good if they are simply swallowed up by further increases in inflation.
I absolutely know that NHS staff are struggling with the cost of living and I am calling on the Government to go further to help directly with those costs that are rising fastest.
I am calling on the Government to go further in two important areas. Firstly, the easiest change the Government could make would be to eliminate VAT on energy bills entirely, a move that would immediately cut energy bills by 5% for every family in the country. This is a measure made possible by our exit from the EU, and one that I and other colleagues have called on the Prime Minister to take in a joint letter.
Secondly, I am campaigning for the green levies that make up a significant portion of current energy bills to be moved to general taxation. This is the easiest and most direct way that the Government can get energy bills down now. It also needs to take the same approach to cutting fuel bills further through further cuts to fuel taxes given that petrol and diesel prices have continued to rise since the fuel duty cut. This is particularly vital here in Devon and other rural areas where people disproportionately rely on private cars for transport.
We have to be honest that given the global situation – including the war in Ukraine with all of its effects on the global gas markets - households will need to become accustomed to higher energy costs, but I can assure you that I will continue to campaign for as much protection as possible for families from unaffordable bills.
Thank you again for your email, I would like to assure you that I will be speaking up for nurses and other NHS staff and ensuring that your views are heard by Ministers.
