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Press Release - Immediate Release 16.07.03
Over half of NHS employees do not know what Agenda for Change will mean
for them
16th July, 2003 - Results of a poll carried out by NHS Discounts today
reveals that 52% of NHS staff do not know how the Agenda for Change contract
will affect them.
The poll has been running for two months at www.nhsdiscounts.com, the
UK's largest discounts website for NHS employees. It has generated responses
from over 12,100 NHS employees from across the health service including
nurses, managers, doctors, GPs, physiotherapists, office and support staff.
According to the results, when asked if they knew what the proposal would
mean for them, 18% said that they did and thought it was a good idea.
A further 30% said that they understood the proposal but thought that
it wouldn't work.
Rob Sanders, managing director, NHSDiscounts, said of the poll, "Recent
government figures show that over £2.5billion has been spent on agency
doctors and nurses due to severe staff shortages. It is hoped that the
Agenda for Change proposal will help to combat these shortages, yet four
out of five NHS employees either do not understand the contract or do
not believe that it will work."
The Agenda for Change contract ties NHS staff into a three year pay
increase worth over 3% a year, on average. Sanders continues, "This doesn't
mean that the proposal is disliked, it may be that NHS employees simply
haven't had access to information about how Agenda for Change will affect
them in their day-to-day working lives."
NHS Discounts is an online community that is dedicated to helping all
NHS employees save money. It is free to join and estimates that its discounts,
across 165 companies, can save an NHS employee up to 10% on their annual
salary. The site holds regular polls, often submitted by members themselves,
giving people the opportunity to view their opinions relating to topical
issues.
More than £2 million has so far been spent through NHS Discounts by
health service staff, as new membership levels hit a record peak of more
than 1,000 a week. The UK's major High Street names have rallied round
the initiative, with discounts including:
- Reduced mortgage rates with the Halifax
- Five per cent off household appliances at Currys and Dixons
- Up to 50 per cent off books and medical titles at WHSmith
- Five per cent off computers and games consoles at PC World
- Up to 75 per cent off gym memberships
-Ends-
For further information about www.nhsdiscounts.com, contact Lynsey Walden
on 0808 1000 181 or email; lynsey@nhsdiscounts.com
About NHSDiscounts
NHS Discounts is an online community dedicated to helping all members
of the NHS to save money. Launched in August 2001, the site is completely
free to join and has already attracted over 100,000 members from all sectors
of the NHS. It negotiates discounts with many well-known High Street brands
such as Dixons, Currys, WHSmith, PC World, the AA, Eaglestar Insurance
and the Halifax. These discounts are made available to all members of
the NHS via the Internet and can save staff up to 10% of their annual
salary.
NHS Discounts has also created an interactive community section where
members can enter a wide range of competitions to win cash prizes of up
to £1000, submit jokes to win prizes and catch-up on all the latest news
in the health service. Membership to the site is only available to NHS
employees and their families. More information can be found at www.nhsdiscounts.com.
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