Sajid Javid is planning to slash the take home pay of 800,000 health workers next year by raising their pension contributions.
At the same time the Health Secretary wants to hand six-figure salaried NHS managers and hospital consultants increases of more than £1,000 a year.
The proposed changes in the NHS pension scheme to which nine in ten nurses and doctors belong would see more than three quarters of the nation’s 1.4 million health workers worse off.
The carrot in the stick of the Health Secretary’s three month consultation is a better deal for part timers but that is unlikely to dampen anger.
The consultation document said: "This change ensures that the costs and benefits of the scheme are more evenly shared."
Sara Gorton of health workers union Unison said: “Asking staff to pay more could prove a step too far.
“This could well trigger many into walking, leaving an already under-pressure NHS struggling to cope.”
Medical tax specialist James Gransby of RSM accountants said: “I’d bet my bottom dollar most of those affected don’t know about this yet.
“There is an urgent need for financial respite for an NHS workforce feeling unfairly hammered.”
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth agreed, adding: “These high tax Tories are hammering hard working NHS staff again and again.
“ Sajid Javid needs to stop burying his head in the sand and put in place a fair deal for NHS staff urgently.”
The phased increases beginning in April next year would see a health care assistant earning between £13,232 to £15,431 losing around £20 a month as contributions go up 1.5% by 2023.
A £31,534 a year full time nurse would be £19 a month worse off while a £114,003 consultant would pay £85 a month less thanks to a two per cent cut in contributions.
West Midlands cardiac nurse James Anthony, 39, said: “After a pay award that didn’t even cover the increase in our bills, NHS staff are already feeling let down.
“Now we’ve got to pay more for our pensions. Colleagues aren’t happy. Many may choose to throw in the towel when the NHS is desperate for staff.”
Mr Anthony calculates he will lose £21.59 a month from next April and a total of £42.98 by 2023 without getting any extra benefit.
Nicola Lee of the Royal College of Nursing added: “Some may benefit from these proposals but others will not.
“These changes are being proposed just as nurses have had a real-term pay cut.”
Next year’s national insurance increase to pay for social care, soaring inflation and energy price rises are already set to wipe out any pay increase health workers might get.
Labour MP Neil Coyle of the Commons Work and Pensions Committee said: “Hiking pension contributions is a nasty double whammy just as prices are rising for everyday shopping and bills.”
Mr Javid’s new tier system aims to recoup 9.8 per cent of the cost of NHS pensions so staff contribute a total of £4.5billion towards their own retirement. Employers put in 20.6%.
The £29billion scheme now supports a million NHS pensioners.
