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Piers Morgan has called on Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock to put their actions and words into practice and financially reward Britain’s health care workers The Good Morning Britain co-host criticised the Prime Minister and Health Secretary for taking part in the Clap for Carers celebration for 10 weeks without helping Britain’s frontline workers with an increase in pay.

Mr Morgan cited the move in France which has seen French President Emmanuel Macron agree a £7billion pay rise for health care workers – an average of £165 per person per month.

He wrote on Twitter: “This is what OUR health workers deserve @BorisJohnson @MattHancock, not your claps and meaningless platitudes.

“They stepped up, now YOU step up.”

In France, the billion-pound package will cover existing workers including nurses, care workers and non-medical staff.

It will also be used to hire 15,000 additional staff in the sector.

On Monday French Prime Minister Jean Castex said the bill was a historic moment for our health system.

The agreement came after two months of negotiations and widespread protests.

Mr Castex said: “This is first of all recognition of those who have been on the front line in the fight against this epidemic.

“It’s also a way of catching up the delay for each and everyone – including perhaps myself – has their share of responsibility.”

Earlier this month, Mr Hancock indicated a pay rise was not on the cards and insisted an increase had already been handed out before the pandemic.

In 2018, a 1.7 percent pay increase was agreed as part of a three-year deal.

Appearing on BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on July 5, the Health Secretary said: “The good news is there is already an agreed pay rise.

“So we will absolutely ensure we recognise the work that front-line staff in the NHS have done.”

Unions argue nurses’ pay has dropped by 14.9 percent in real-terms since 2010.

When pressed on if there would be an increase in real terms, he added: “I want to see people properly rewarded – absolutely.”

According to Amnesty International, England and Wales have the second-highest number of COVID-19 deaths among health and social care workers in the world.

A report found 540 health and social care worker deaths have been linked to coronavirus – with only Russia on 545 having a higher figure.

On Monday, the Government was condemned for excluding social care workers from its new points-based immigration rules.

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Some NHS health professionals, including social workers, will be able to apply for a specific health and care visa, designed to be quicker and cheaper, but this route will not be open to care workers.

Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said: “The Government’s decision not to include social care workers in the NHS visa scheme is another example of the way in which the Government treats social care staff as second class citizens.

“There will be a continuing need for overseas staff, until the Government delivers a proper workforce strategy for social care and also the money required to give the staff the salaries and conditions they richly deserve.”

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: “Our independent migration advisers have said that immigration is not the sole answer here, which is why we have provided councils with an additional £1.5 billion of funding for social care in 2021/22, as well as launching a new recruitment campaign.”

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