Two-thirds (63%) of nurses and healthcare workers are choosing between food and fuel with almost one in five (14%) turn to food banks due to the soaring cost of living.

A staggering 94% called for a pay increase in line with inflation in the survey of over 1,000 health and social care workers carried out by Florence.

Fiona Millington, chief nurse at Florence, said: “It’s an incredibly difficult time to be a nurse or carer at the moment. The government hailed nurses & healthcare workers during the pandemic but where is that support now? The proposed pay increase doesn’t come close to what is needed by healthcare workers across the country. Nurses and carers are making genuine decisions, ‘Do I have something to eat that’s hot? Do I risk having to use gas to heat this up?’. The cost of living has risen at an alarming rate, but salaries are not increasing to match that cost of living. Nurses and carers, like every other profession, are finding themselves in a situation where it’s more difficult to make ends meet. It’s a really difficult situation but sadly it’s the reality we’re facing. A government implemented pay rise cannot come quickly enough.” 

Over a quarter (28%) said they planned to leave the industry in search of better pay with the rising cost of living having a significant impact on the mental health of more than a third (39%) of respondents.

Dr Charles Armitage, chief executive and founder of Florence, said: “For too long, the UK’s under-funded, over-stretched system has pushed more NHS and social care professionals to leave than to stay; with ever-growing vacancies and Covid-19 adding to the pressure.  

“Staff shortages are the single biggest threat to global healthcare. High vacancy rates are fuelling long wait times, burnout, and ultimately driving the existing workforce out – all in search of less pressure and better pay. It’s unsustainable and we need an urgent, long-term solution. We need to see increased pay, greater efforts to bring more people into healthcare and enhanced training as a start. We need to look after our frontline healthcare workers, not drive them out.”