News

Nurse poll: we deserve 22% pay rise, as NHS gets budget boost

As the chanceller Rachel Reeves revealed her first budget for the Labour government with pledges of £22.6 billion over two years for the NHS, nursing staff said they want to see investment in salaries to improve retention rates and workforce numbers. A Nursing Standard poll shows that over half of respondents support demands for a 22% pay rise similar to that granted to junior doctors, which would boost band 5 nurse salaries by up to £7,000 over two years, with only 2% of respondents viewing the current 5.5% award for 2024-25 as acceptable.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves' budget will allocate £1.5 billion for new surgical hubs and scanners, alongside £70 million for new radiotherapy machines

As chancellor Rachel Reeves' budget pledges £22.6 billion for the NHS, a Nursing Standard poll shows more than half of respondents support demands for a 22% pay rise

Chancellor Rachel Reeves poses outside 11 Downing Street with her ministerial red box before delivering her Budget in the House of Commons
Chancellor Rachel Reeves' budget will allocate £1.5 billion for new surgical hubs and scanners, alongside £70 million for new radiotherapy machines Picture: Alamy

More than half of respondents think they should get a 22% pay increase – a rise of £7,000 – in line with that awarded to junior doctors, according to a poll aimed at nurses by Nursing Standard.

As chancellor Rachel Reeves revealed her first budget on Wednesday with pledges of £22.6 billion for day-to-day spending over two years for the Department of Health and Social Care, nursing staff said they want to see investment in salaries to improve retention rates and workforce numbers.

In an online Instagram poll of more than 550 respondents, 53% said that nurses deserve the same pay increase as that for junior doctors agreed in September, which equates to a 22% pay rise over two years. There were three other poll options, including 5.5% which is the current pay award, and it ran from 29 to 30 October.

Our Nursing Standard poll asked nurses what they deserved to get paid as a starting salary and 53% wanted a 22% pay rise
Our Nursing Standard poll asked nurses what they deserved to get paid as a starting salary
and 53% wanted a 22% pay rise like junior doctors

That would take a band 5 nurse’s starting salary from £29,970 to £36,563 over two years, while staff at the top of band 5 would jump from £36,483 to £44,509.

RCN warns of more strikes if government does not invest in the profession

One third (33%) said they would be happy with a 8.5% pay award, which is 5% above inflation in July and August. Meanwhile, just 2% or respondents said the current 5.5% award for 2024-25 was fair.

The results come as RCN general secretary Nicola Ranger warned that nurses could carry out more strikes if the government does not invest in the profession.

She told the Financial Times on Monday: ‘We are not strike hungry but there is only a limited time that our members will be willing to wait and see if this government is serious about valuing nursing.’

Last month two thirds of RCN members in England voted to reject the government’s pay award of 5.5% in an online consultation.

Nurses picketing at Barnsley Hospital in May 2023. Last month two thirds of RCN members in England voted to reject a pay award of 5.5% in an online consultation
Nurses picketing at Barnsley Hospital in May 2023. Last month two thirds of RCN members in England voted to reject a pay award of 5.5% in an online consultation Picture: John Houlihan

Nurses are no longer going to be passive, says RCN’s Nicola Ranger

While the vote did not stop the rise being implemented for NHS Agenda for Change (AfC) staff in October, it could pave the way for another strike ballot.

Ms Ranger added: ‘The vote signalled that nurses are no longer going to be passive. They have had enough. They can see patients are suffering under the current state of nursing.’

She said nurses should see their pay increased in line with paramedics and midwives who start on band 6, with their starting salary increased to £37,338 after graduation and completion of a preceptorship.

The autumn budget will allocate £1.5 billion for new surgical hubs and scanners, alongside £70 million for new radiotherapy machines to provide 40,000 extra elective appointments per week to tackle a backlog.

But responding to the poll, many nurses instead said they would like to see funding for mental health services, community care, the front-line workforce, nursing pay and education.

One nurse said: ‘We need to invest in education because it’s the only way to improve the quality of care.’


In other news

Jobs