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5% pay rise? Many nurses would rather work overseas

Staff air their views on Twitter, with one saying the deal is the ‘final nail for many’ who are thinking of working abroad; another says it ‘does nothing to make the NHS attractive to work for’
Nurses striking for fair pay outside York Hospital earlier this month

Staff air their views on Twitter, with one saying the deal is the ‘final nail for many’ who are thinking of working abroad; another says it ‘does nothing to make the NHS attractive to work for’

Nurses striking for fair pay outside York Hospital earlier this month. Picture: John Houlihan

A career overseas may be on the cards for some nurses after a 5% pay rise was given the go-ahead by health unions, despite nurses’ ongoing dispute for fairer pay.

Many said the deal does not reflect the skills of nursing and will make working overseas look more attractive at a time of major recruitment and retention issues.

Nurses say what they think of pay rise on Twitter

The NHS Staff Council accepted the government’s latest pay offer on 2 May, which also included a one-off payment of between £1,655 and £3,789 for 2022-23.

The vote paved the way for the government to impose the offer on all staff on Agenda for Change contracts in England, despite several unions in the council, including the RCN and Unite, voting to reject it.

Nurses criticised the decision on social media, with Candy Gregory saying it could be the ‘final nail’ for those looking to move abroad:

Nursing student Tia said on Twitter: ‘I’m going into mental health nursing and I'm doing the degree in the UK. With the news still dire, the plan of moving to another country to work is still in progress. Well done, UK.’

Admiral Nurse Carol Devaney had this to say:

A community nurse said she did not know ‘one nurse who thinks it is a fair offer’, while another added that nurses would be worse off as a result.

Responding to a video posted on Twitter by health and social care secretary Steve Barclay, in which he celebrated the vote as a ‘great day for NHS staff and patients’, mental health charity Frontline 19 said: ‘No, it isn’t good news… it just means that you have stamped all over the nurses.’

London South Bank University chair of healthcare and workforce modelling Alison Leary had this to say to Steve Barclay:

The RCN is set to re-ballot its members on a further six-month strike mandate for June to December, covering both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 pay years.


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