Nurses deserve pay rise: Durkan

He said: “I am deeply concerned that the deterioration in nursing pay standards combined with service stresses is having a negative impact on professional morale.

“The government has restricted pay rises for nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants for over four years.

“The projected ongoing flat pay freeze for hard pressed public servants especially in health and care services was one of my reasons for voting against the Budget.

“Nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants have also rightly highlighted the government inconsistency and cynicism in variously invoking and ignoring the Independent Pay Review Body.

“It is particularly invidious to conscript the Independent Pay Review Body to re-profile nursing pay and conditions as the source for funding policy changes to a seven day care model.”