Posted 25 July 2023 - 07:00
Posted 25 July 2023 - 07:00
News
General practice nurses urged to lobby for promised 6% pay rise
Salaried GP nurses should receive the public sector worker pay deal in full, says RCN, as it urges them to confirm this with employers as soon as possible
Salaried GP nurses should receive the public sector worker pay deal in full, says RCN, as it urges them to confirm this with employers as soon as possible
Nursing staff working in general practice are urged to lobby their employers to ensure they receive their 6% pay rise as soon as possible.
The government announced on 13 July that all salaried GP staff would receive a pay rise of 6%, after it agreed to implement the pay review body recommendations for doctors and dentists as well as millions of other public sector workers.
Nurses in general practice should ensure they receive the promised 6% rise
The RCN has said the uplift should be passed on ‘in full’ to all salaried practice staff, including nurses employed by GP surgeries that provide NHS services. The college has urged the government to implement the pay rise as soon as possible and backdate it to April.
The college also urged salaried GP nursing staff who have not yet had confirmation of the pay increase to write to their employer asking for clarification.
RCN England director Patricia Marquis said: ‘This pay award is recognition of your daily commitment to patients and the NHS. We're determined to ensure you receive your pay award promptly and in full and will support you to secure this if your employer does not guarantee it.’
Staff working in general practice, including nurses, are not directly employed by the NHS and therefore, unlike their NHS nursing colleagues, are not on Agenda for Change (AfC) contracts. General practice staff are contracted to provide NHS services and are usually subject to separate contracts with separate terms and conditions.
Nurses on Agenda for Change contracts will receive a lower pay rise of 5%
It means salaried practice nurses are among those receiving a 6% pay rise for 2023-24, rather than the 5% increase agreed between the government and NHS Staff Council earlier this year for nurses and other staff on AfC contracts.
The RCN has accused the government of being cavalier and reckless with public sector pay, with AfC nurses left behind millions of other public sector workers.
After months of historic strikes, the deal for AfC staff was negotiated between the government and health unions, bypassing the usual NHS Pay Review Body process. Ministers had initially budgeted for a 3.5% pay increase for AfC staff.
But the government has said that a one-off payment of between £1,655 and £3,789 for 2022-23 combined with the 5% increase means that nurses had a better deal overall.
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