Salisbury District Hospital. Inset: Danny Kruger MP and John Glen MP. MP FOR Salisbury John Glen has defended the proposed one per cent pay rise for NHS staff. Mr Glen said the pandemic had hit the economy hard, so savings needed to be made - which only allowed a modest increase for NHS heroes. But a Labour city councillor has insisted NHS staff and key workers "desparately need" a "tangible" increase in income. It comes after Sir Keir Starmer said the starting point for an NHS pay rise should be 2.1 per cent, but declined to express his backing for the 12.5 per cent raise demanded by the Royal College of Nurses.