Nurses' pay award will be top item in new RCN boss’s in-tray
Nursing union names its next general secretary as Nicola Ranger, who says new government must work through the summer to reach a deal on NHS nurses’ pay
The RCN has appointed Nicola Ranger as its new general secretary and chief executive.
Professor Ranger was confirmed in the role by the college’s ruling council following an external recruitment process.
The former chief nurse and executive director of midwifery at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London had been acting general secretary of the college since May, when predecessor Pat Cullen resigned to stand in the general election.
Priority to secure belated NHS pay deal
Professor Ranger’s immediate priority as head of a key healthcare union will be this year’s NHS pay deal. Nursing staff have been waiting for news on an award, which was due in April. She has said the new government must work through the summer parliamentary recess to resolve the pay issue.
Professor Ranger said it was an honour and immense privilege to take her new role and she looks forward to working with the new UK government.
‘I will work tirelessly to build on the great history of the Royal College of Nursing, to demonstrate its value to every nursing professional – covering every role, setting, workplace and country – and to make an undeniable case for investment in nursing as the best way to transform services and improve outcomes,’ she said.
Nurses’ leader will be working with UK governments and employers
RCN council chair Paul Vaughan said: ‘Nicola has unparalleled experience as a nurse leader, and she enjoys the strongest reputation in our profession.
‘She will relish the chance to deliver for all parts of our membership, work with RCN members, employers, systems and ministers across the UK, and make an immediate impact with the new Westminster government.’
Professor Ranger’s CV includes chief nurse posts at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust and Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey and Berkshire, and earlier spells at George Washington University Hospital in Washington DC and Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.
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