UNISON Nurses Call For Local Action Over Rising Fuel Costs, UK

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 05 Jun 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Angry nurses, who need their cars to visit patients, are demanding a rise in their fuel allowance to help cover the huge hike in petrol and diesel costs. UNISON, the UK's largest health union, has written to more than 400 health branches urging them to secure local agreements, following the rejection of demands nationally.

Gail Adams, UNISON Head of Nursing, said:

"Many patients rely on nurses to visit them at home and it cannot be right to push the burden of rising petrol costs onto their shoulders. Everyone knows that it costs a small fortune to fill up your car, but NHS employers nationally will not listen to reason. The allowance has not gone up since 2000 when the average cost of petrol was 87.5p per litre - today that same amount would cost you on 112p.

"National mileage allowances are the minimum and we have an agreement that local arrangements can be made. Back in March the AA calculated that it costs 58p a mile to run a small family car, and prices have gone up again since then. We want branches to get local managers to see sense and add 10% to fuel allowances as a matter of urgency.

Notes

NHS Staff who need their cars for work include district nurses, health visitors, school nurses, community midwives and physiotherapists and community psychiatric nurses as well as nursing assistants, managers and HR staff.

Current NHS fuel allowances range from 23p - 40p a mile.

The tax-free threshold for drivers using their own car for work and claiming mileage expenses was set in 2002 and is 40 pence up to 10,000 miles - in 2002 petrol cost 76p per litre.

In May 2008 the average cost of petrol was 112ppl for petrol and 124.22 for diesel.

http://www.unison.org.uk