It is time to reward our nurses with a pay rise FOLLOWING on from John Monaghan’s letter (April 1), everyone will be wishing him well in his endeavours for Ward 5F at the JR Hospital.

How poignant this event is, as one of my sons was in JR’s ward 5F and four ‘visits’ to intensive care for ten weeks during 2007. It is only then do we really appreciate and fully understand the excellent and devoted work of the doctors and nurses.

Now, there is a political slant to all of this. On the front page of the same paper, is the welcome news of an ‘above rate of inflation’ pay rise for the BMW workers. But sadly, our nurses up and down the country, nurturing the sick back to full health are not to expect even a one per cent pay rise.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage has said that as 80 per cent of our laws emanate from the Lisbon Treaty, then instead of our MPs looking for an 11 per cent pay rise, they should be asking for an 80 per cent pay cut.

So, Oxfordshire MPs, rubber-stamp a decent pay rise for our venerable nurses. Let us see if you can rise to the occasion. Deal or no deal?

JOHN MADEN, Ukip, Oxford