Healthcare leaders have been quick to call on Mr Sunak to take action.
The new Prime Minister is being urged to relook at nurse pay amid nationwide strike ballots.
Nursing and healthcare leaders across the board have been quick to call for action from the new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
It comes following the resignation of Liz Truss last week, making her the shortest-serving Prime Minister in history.
Real terms pay cut.
Responding to the announcement of Rishi Sunak as the new prime minister, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Pat Cullen, said: “Rishi Sunak must now decide if he wants to be the prime minister who cut the NHS and social care to the bone or one that invested in its people, patients and priorities.
“He might be new to Number 10 but nursing staff will remember that this year’s real-terms NHS pay cut was designed by Sunak from his Treasury desk.
“In the three months since, he should have learnt what happens when prime ministers focus on the wealthy and neglect workers.
“In the final ten days of our ballot, our members will be sending a strong message to the new prime minister.”
Soaring inflation.
The same issues were also flagged by NHS Providers chief Saffron Cordery, she added, “We need decisive action to tackle funding for public services that is diminishing daily due to soaring inflation, the cost of pay awards not fully funded by the government, and cuts in funding to deal with the ongoing costs of Covid-19.
“We need bold steps to tackle the key challenges facing the NHS and social care, including severe staff shortages, treatment backlogs, NHS funding and social care reform.”
Ms Cordery concluded, “Trust leaders know tough times and difficult decisions are ahead. But enforcing further efficiencies or raiding capital budgets to make up for shortfalls in NHS funding is not the answer.”
