With endless horror stories about nurses skipping meals to feed their families and clothe their children, it is clear the cost of living crisis is still impacting our NHS frontline - and hard.
In fact, an overwhelming 94% of nurses have urged the government to increase wages in line with soaring energy bills and inflated supermarket prices.
The same study by Florence found that over half of healthcare workers (63%) cannot afford both food and fuel and have no choice but to choose between the two.
More concerningly perhaps, is that almost one in five nurses have turned to food banks since the start of the cost of living crisis in the UK.
To add fuel to the fire, numerous NHS trusts have U-turned on free parking since the fizzling out of the Covid-19 pandemic. The most expensive coming in at a whopping £76.80 a day (St Thomas' Hospital in London).
Crazy expenses aside, it is evident that nurses are being significantly underpaid, with research suggesting they work the equivalent of one day a week for free based on the average salary.
What support is available?
In August, it was announced that NHS staff will receive hardship grants to support them with day-to-day costs during this era of austerity.
Some hospitals are also offering support in the form of discounted food, second hand school uniforms and more accessible public transport.
Derbyshire community health services trust has even launched a fast-track grant service where staff in desperate need of financial support can receive up to £500.
Its deputy chief executive, Darren Tidmarsh says: “Cost of living hardship can hit anyone and we have been clear that nobody should feel stigma about coming forward for help.”
“We’ve set out to provide practical help to people and to be upfront in saying: we know it is a very uncertain time for everyone.” It is also providing £100 salary advances so staff can buy fuel, and free car parking in its car parks and has increased its mileage allowance for those working in the community, all as ways of putting more money in their workforce’s pockets.”
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