Children’s illustrators and writers have created posters calling for a pay rise for NHS staff.
Percy The Park Keeper author and illustrator Nick Butterworth and Diaries Of Pig creator Emer Stamp have created the images.
Fourteen unions, including Unison and the Royal College of Nursing, are urging the public to display the posters in their windows.
Butterworth’s poster features a fox giving medicine to his character Percy, who is sick in bed.
He said: “The people of the NHS have been going like the clappers to keep ‘the clappers’ going.
“It’s only fair that we should recognise the immense debt we owe them as individuals and a country.”
Earlier this month the Government revealed it had recommended a 1% pay rise for NHS staff in England.
Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Let’s show the Prime Minister just how much the public values health staff.
“By getting creative for the NHS with our crayons, felt tips and pencils, we can all get colouring to send a powerful message to Westminster.
“Bright, colourful displays in the windows of houses, flats, apartments and bungalows across the land should help the Government to see just how much out of step it is with the public mood.”
Royal College of Nursing chief executive and general secretary Dame Donna Kinnair said: “The public support for nursing staff throughout the pandemic has been incredible.”
She added: “The public support for NHS workers is astounding. Now it’s time for the Government to level up and show they truly value NHS workers with a significant pay rise.”
Health minister Nadine Dorries has previously said the Government cannot afford to give NHS staff in England a pay rise of more than 1%.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: “We recognise the pressure this pandemic has put on all health and social care staff who have worked tirelessly to save lives and care for our most vulnerable.
“Over one million NHS staff continue to benefit from multi-year pay deals agreed with trade unions, which have delivered a pay rise of over 12% for newly qualified nurses and will increase junior doctors’ pay scales by 8.2%.
“There are record numbers of doctors and nurses working in our NHS with nearly 10,900 more nurses and almost 6,600 more doctors than last year.
“We are committed to supporting every one by further boosting recruitment, investing in staff, and backing the NHS with an extra £29 billion in Covid funding over the next year.”
