UK healthcare providers are facing a funding crisis due to a huge " sleep - in ##ducing " pay bill . Nearly 70 % of the sector was said to be at risk after a tribunal ruled that workers should be paid the minimum wage for the time they are asleep whilst on call , according to a survey by Agenda Consulting and law firm Tower & Hamlins . The cost of back - pay for the last 10 years could be as high as £ 400 m ( $ 800 m ) and 80 % of companies surveyed believed their business would not be viable if they were required to meet the liability .
UK care providers are facing a funding crisis due to a huge "sleep-in care" pay bill. Nearly 70% of the sector was said to be at risk after a tribunal ruled that workers should be paid the minimum wage for the hours they are asleep whilst on call, according to a survey by Agenda Consulting and law firm Tower & Hamlins. The cost of back-pay for the last six years could be as high as £400m ($544m) and 68% of companies surveyed said their business would not be viable if they were required to meet the liability.