Nine Out Of 10 Nurses In England, Wales And Northern Ireland Reject Pay Award

Nine retired of 10 nurses person rejected their 3.6% salary grant for this twelvemonth and warned that they could onslaught later this twelvemonth unless their salaries are improved.

In an suggestive ballot among members of nan Royal College of Nursing (RCN) successful England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 91% said nan 3.6% emergence was not enough.

The national has told ministers to “use nan summertime to scope statement connected finance successful nan nursing workforce aliases look general escalation to a conflict and an business action ballot”.

Nurses’ overwhelming rejection of their salary grant is simply a caller NHS business relations headache for ministers successful London, Cardiff and Belfast, particularly for Wes Streeting, nan wellness secretary, who is already trying to resoluteness strikes by resident doctors successful England seeking a 29% salary rise.

The RCN said: “In nan largest consultation ever conducted by nan RCN 91% said nan NHS unit salary grant of 3.6% was not capable to move astir a occupation gripped by wide vacancies, years of salary erosion and thwarted profession progression.”

Turnout was 56%, and much than 170,000 RCN members successful England voted, nan national said. But it did not supply nonstop turnout numbers aliases a breakdown of nan voting crossed nan 3 countries.

“We present nan immense mostly of attraction successful each [NHS] work and merit to beryllium weighted for each our skill, knowledge and experience,” said Prof Nicola Ranger, nan RCN’s wide caput and main executive.

“To debar general escalation, nan authorities must beryllium existent to its connection and discuss connected reforms of nan outdated salary structure, which traps nursing unit astatine nan aforesaid set their full career.”

Nurses successful England staged respective stoppages successful precocious 2022 and early 2023 successful pursuit of amended pay.

Public sentiment is divided connected nan imaginable of a renewed run of walkouts by nurses. Polling by YouGov earlier this week recovered somewhat much would backmost strikes.

Overall 47% said they powerfully aliases somewhat supported nurses going connected onslaught complete pay, while 43% said they would powerfully aliases somewhat reason that. YouGov surveyed 4,311 adults.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it was disappointed nurses successful England had rejected nan 3.6% grant which Streeting announced successful May.

“After receiving 2 above-inflation salary rises from this government, caller full-time nurses will gain £30,000 successful basal salary for nan first clip this twelvemonth truthful it’s disappointing that RCN members are dissatisfied pinch this year’s salary rise”, a DHSC spokesperson said.

“We hugely worth nan activity of nurses, and done our 10-year wellness plan, we are rebuilding nan NHS for nan use of patients and staff, and ensuring nursing remains an charismatic profession choice.

“This authorities is clear we can’t move immoderate further connected header salary but will activity pinch nan RCN to amended their awesome concerns, including salary building reform, concerns connected profession progression and wider moving conditions.”