Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for an end to the “Britain food bank” and said nurses should not rely on deliveries.
He said: “Thousands of nurses report that because of the cost of living crisis, meals are being skipped so they can feed their children.
“I want to end Britain ‘s food bank by ending Britain’ s poverty and low wages.
“This is not a political party issue but a humanitarian issue. It is a matter of common decency.
“The best way to reward British nurses for what they did for us during the pandemic is to ensure decent wages and working conditions. Our nurses took care of us; it’s time to take care of them.”
According to NursingNotes, six NHS trusts have set up food banks or developed food voucher schemes to help their staff cope with the cost of living.
Brown called for investment to address the shortage of nursing staff across the UK.
He said: “Two years ago, the NHS was deservedly awarded the George Cross for its work during the pandemic, but the reward for individual nurses has been wage agreements well below inflation, leaving nurses much worse. .
“Now, as part of the Platinum Jubilee, members of the armed forces and the emergency services are rightly receiving the Jubilee medals.
“I say that all nurses should also line up to receive the Jubilee medals, but instead – and it’s almost unbelievable that this is the case in the fifth richest country in the world – today there are too many nurses queuing up. food banks.
“I hate the idea of nurses taking long shifts and then having to leave their patients’ beds to line up for food packages.
“Surely, as a country, we have not come this far to end the year 2022 with food benches, bedding benches, baby benches and clothing benches replacing the welfare state as the last line of defense against poverty and low wages. “
Last month, the president of the Royal College of Nursing told lawmakers that the nursing sector had a critical issue with retention.
Dr. Denise Chaffer said: “We can’t get away from the salary issue: we have nurses who can’t pay rent, pay for gas to go to work and can’t get a mortgage.
“We’ve talked to several members who can’t get a mortgage, who depend on food banks.
“Clearly, payment is key and we can’t get away from it.”