GIDLEY BACKS HEALTHY PAY INCREASE FOR NURSES

12.39.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 10th Apr 2008

Local MP and Liberal Democrat Public Health spokesperson, Sandra Gidley, has welcomed the announcement of new pay deals for health workers.

The deal, which will see nurses given an 8% pay rise over three years, will also result in a local nurse's starting salary rising to over £20,000.

Sandra said:

"I'm pleased that the Government has accepted the recommendations of the pay review body, and that the hard work of nurses throughout the area is to be rewarded.

"The work of nurses in our local hospitals is vital and often overlooked. They fully deserve to be rewarded.

"This three-year deal will help provide economic stability, as well as giving health workers a more certain financial outlook.

"I hope that Ministers have learned their lesson from their underhanded scheme to stage police pay, and won't continue to repeat the same mistakes in the future."

ENDS