NURSES cannot be thanked enough for their work and that has become more apparent in recent years as we have had to deal with coronavirus.

During difficult times our nurses have proved invaluable as they helped guide us through a pandemic.

Recently though, nurses’ leaders called for a “significant” pay rise this year, saying that otherwise staff will quit and the NHS will not be able to recover from the pandemic.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is called for a pay award of 5% above the level of RPI inflation, following the huge controversy over NHS pay since the Covid crisis struck.

This is an all to familiar story, and this week we look back to 1979 when Somerset nurses' morale was at an all time low - which was influenced by what they felt was unfair pay.

Somerset County Gazette: Nurses pay story 1979

In March 1979, the County Gazette reported that if there was nothing done soon that there would be a record low nurses in the region as more and more left due to poor pay and a reorganisation of local health set-ups.

Mrs Lynda Price, then secretary of the West Somerset branch of the Royal College of Nurses said at the time the situation was bleak.

"Perhaps the public is not aware of what is happening to the nursing profession.

"So many nurses are leaving, the health and future of us all is at stake here."

Somerset County Gazette: File photo dated 27/01/21 of nurses working. The Government has said it is on track to recruit 50,000 more nurses in the NHS by 2024, though the claim has been called into question by a union. Issue date: Monday March 7, 2022.

To put things in perspective to modern day, in 1979, nurses in Somerset and specifically Taunton were paid as follows:

n A ward sister and also a district nurse, both with up to five years training earned £45.20 per week.

n A staff nurse with a minimum of three years training earned £37.75 per week.

n An enrolled nurse took home £34.75 per week.

n A pupil nurse took home £31 per week.

All of those weekly wages were after each nurse worked a minimum of forty hour weeks.

Accounting for 4 per cent inflation year on year, those salaries equate to a maximum of £200 per week in 2022.

The Taunton nurses at the time started a 'Pay not Peanuts' petition which made its way to the Somerset Council.

What do you think, should our nurses be paid more in 2022? And did Somerset nurses in 1979 earn enough?