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Nurse pay: ‘offensive’ 2.8% proposal is worth just £2 a day

The Department of Health and Social Care has submitted evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body for the 2025-26 pay award for nurses and other NHS staff, recommending a rise that has been deemed ‘offensive’ by nurse leaders as it equates to just £2 a day, less than the price of a coffee. Continuing dissatisfaction with the pay review process and this initial indication of what could be expected next year has stirred talk of the possibility of industrial action and, possibly, strikes.
2.8% NHS nurse pay offer branded as deeply offensive by nursing leaders: nurses strike for fair pay

Suggested 2.8% NHS pay offer for 2025-26 branded as 'deeply offensive' by nursing leaders, but government states that a bigger rise would be difficult to afford

2.8% NHS nurse pay offer branded as deeply offensive by nursing leaders: nurses strike for fair pay
NHS Employers has warned that strike action could be taken after initial 2.8% pay deal suggestion for 2025-26 Picture: David Gee

The government has recommended NHS nurses should get a 2.8% pay rise next year – a move branded ‘deeply offensive’ by nursing leaders.

Government warns that a pay rise of over 2.8% in 2025-26 would require ‘trade-offs’

Submitting evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body (RB) for 2025–26, the government said it has ‘set aside the reasonable amount’ for Agenda for Change (AfC) staff, doctors and dentists.

But following the announcement, the RCN hinted that industrial action could be on the cards, saying that the pay increase would amount to just £2 a day for nurses.

‘The NHS workforce is the backbone of service delivery with pay the largest component of NHS costs,’ the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) wrote.

‘The government is carefully balancing delivery of services for patients and ensuring staff are paid fairly and have supportive working conditions that enables delivery of the best patient care.’

The DHSC added ‘there would be difficult trade offs’ if the RB were to recommend pay above the affordability guidance it has laid out.

Last month the biggest health unions – the RCN, Unite and Unison – wrote a joint letter to health and social care secretary Wes Streeting to tell him they would not participate in the ‘out-of-date’ RB process this year.

RCN calls for direct talks after ‘offensive’ 2.8% pay recommendation

On Tuesday, RCN general secretary Nicola Ranger called on the government to ‘open direct talks now to avoid further escalation to disputes and ballots’.

She added: ‘The government has today told nursing staff they are worth as little as £2 extra a day – less than the price of a coffee. Nursing is in crisis – there are fewer joining and too many experienced professionals leaving.

‘This is deeply offensive to nursing staff, detrimental to their patients and contradictory to hopes of rebuilding the NHS.

‘The public understands the value of nursing and they know that meaningful reform of the NHS requires the crisis in nursing to be addressed. ‘

Strike action ‘cannot be ruled out’

In its evidence to the RB, NHS Employers also warned that strike action could be taken by nurses following the rejection of the 2024-25 5.5% pay award by RCN members in England and Wales in an online consultation.

It said: ‘This indicates strongly that further industrial relations challenges – including possible further strike action – cannot be ruled out when looking ahead to the 2025-26 pay round and beyond.’


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