Care England, the largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care, has said that nurses working in independent care homes seem not to have been given the same priority as NHS nurses. The government appear to have given NHS nurses more priority which seems unfair given NHS providers will have the cost of the pay award paid directly via the Treasury, whilst care home with nursing will not.
Nurse pay increases can only be funded by care homes either via CCG contracts or funded nursing care from the government. This is at a 2% increase for 2018/19 which doesn’t allow care homes to match the pay awards for NHS nurses.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says:-
“The nursing home sector is a vital part of our whole health and social care system and ensures that people, especially older people, are discharged promptly from hospital, but also can ensure people do not enter hospital unnecessarily. However, the sector needs to be funded appropriately to do this and our nurses also deserve a funded pay settlement from Government”
