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Tory minister says 1% pay offer for NHS staff was 'pleasant surprise'

Nadine Dorries says nurses would ideally get more but notes freeze elsewhere in public sector
Nurses would ideally get a bigger pay rise than the 1% that the government has recommended, the junior health minister Nadine Dorries has said, as she suggested it could “move” on the issue.
The Royal College of Nursing has denounced the proposed pay increase for NHS staff as “pitiful” and doctors’ groups have accused the government of a dereliction of duty after Boris Johnson’s effusive praise for their efforts during the pandemic.
Dorries, a former nurse, told BBC Breakfast on Friday: “I was actually surprised because I knew that we’d frozen public sector pay, that no one in the public sector was receiving a pay rise, so I was pleasantly surprised that we were making an offer.”
She said the offer was the most the government thought it could afford and put forward to the NHS pay review body. She told Sky News: “That will be discussed, then we will wait for feedback from unions and other health sector stakeholders and see where we move to on this, but the 1% is what the government can afford.”
She noted that nurses were on an average salary of £34,000 at a time when many people had lost their jobs, and she predicted that record numbers would apply to enter the profession this year.
“Everybody in an ideal world would love to see nurses paid far more … but we are coming out of a pandemic where we have seen huge borrowing and costs to the government,” she said.
Dorries, whose ministerial brief covers patient safety, suicide prevention and mental health, also said there would be no cuts to NHS budgets.
Budget documents revealed there is a planned cut of £30bn in day-to-day spending at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) from April this year, from £199.2bn to £169.1bn.
“That £30bn, I believe, was a reduction on the pandemic spending – there are actually real-time increases going into the NHS budget year on year. That figure, I’m afraid, is completely wrong – that’s not on our annual funding of the NHS, that was on our pandemic budget, which is completely separate,” Dorries said.
The pay review body will decide in May how much of a salary uplift the vast majority of NHS staff across the UK should get in 2021-22. The proposed 1% pay rise would apply to all NHS staff apart from junior doctors, GPs and dentists.
The veteran Tory MP Sir Roger Gales said more was needed.
“We are facing exceptional circumstances. Yes, I know over a period of three years nurses have had a considerable pay increase, but that <1%> is not what I think the public wants in terms of recognition of a wholly exceptional situation,” he said on Friday. “I do think there has to be a recognition, whether there is a one-off payment – preferably tax-free and a big one – or a pay settlement which obviously would be ongoing.”On Thursday, Dame Donna Kinnair, the chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said: “A pay award as poor as this would amount to only an extra £3.50 per week take-home pay for an experienced nurse. Nobody would think that is fair in the middle of a pandemic. Nursing staff would feel they are being punished and made to pay for the cost of the pandemic. Nursing deserves a 12.5% increase.”
Gale said he had met the south-east branch of the RCN 10 days ago and had written a private letter to the chancellor of the exchequer.
The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, denounced the government’s recommendation of a 1% pay rise for nurses and other health workers.
He said: “This is insulting to NHS staff on the frontline – they have been on the frontline throughout this pandemic. It is not good enough just to clap them: this is a real insult. They need to be properly recognised and properly rewarded.
“The prime minister tries to take credit for the vaccine rollout whilst cutting the pay of those who are actually delivering it, and it is insulting.”
Starmer said a pay cut was “completely the wrong thing in this situation” as he called for NHS workers to be given a pay rise above inflation. He said: “They need a fair rise in pay, above inflation, to be properly recognised and rewarded for what they have put in in the last 12 months.”
source: Ben Quinn
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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