As pressures on the NHS continue and we await the overdue recommendation from the Pay Review Body, members from University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust staged a demonstration during their lunchbreak yesterday.
It was held simultaneously across three sites in Worthing, Haywards Heath and Chichester.
The CSP wants the impact of the cost of living increase to be fairly addressed in this year's pay settlement to ensure that physiotherapy continues to be a viable and attractive long term career option.
Miranda Kent, steward at St Richard’s Chichester said: ‘Physiotherapists have many transferable skills and can readily get private sector employment - the NHS can not afford to lose their vital contribution to keep patients active and living well with their complex health conditions.’
It’s not the first time CSP stewards and members across the trust have taken action.
Worthing General steward Lloyd Renals said: ‘Demonstrations and protest about pay for our public services are so important given the current climate we are living in and what we were expected to do during the pandemic.
The general feeling is that staff are tired, run down and over-stretched and it's impacting the care we can offer our patients which has largely impacted health professionals more as care for our patients is the only reason we work in health care.
Despite the gloomy weather members were in high spirits and there was a good turnout not just from CSP staff but with Unison and nursing staff also in attendance.
Rob Wagner, regional steward at Worthing General added: ‘Members are clearly very frustrated and tired of having to fight constantly over this. They just want to get paid what they're worth. Staff are worried they cannot support themselves and their families, particularly those who are losing out financially due to fuel costs. We have staff leaving in droves.’
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