Nurses’ pay must take priority in Scottish budget, RCN says

Grasp opportunity to support and retain existing nursing staff and set out how to develop workforce of the future, Scottish Government told

Investment in nursing should be prioritised in a bid to tackle the workforce crisis and prevent more nurses from leaving the profession.

Ahead of today’s budget RCN Scotland is calling on the Scottish Government to set out fairer pay for nurses and a plan for expanding the domestic workforce in 2023-24.

• RELATED: Nurses' strikes to go ahead after talks with minister fail

The call comes as RCN members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland begin historic strike action over pay, safe staffing and a lack of sustained investment in the nursing workforce.

RCN Scotland director Colin Poolman said the government’s current plans for nursing were not working and called on Scotland’s deputy first minister John Swinney to address the nursing staffing crisis when he delivers today’s budget.

Move comes as RCN Scotland members vote on ‘best and final’ pay offer

Mr Poolman said: ‘The Scottish Government must grasp this opportunity to support and retain our existing nursing staff and to set out how we can grow and develop our nursing workforce of the future.

‘In the short term it begins with an above-inflation pay increase for hard-pressed nursing staff, not further pay cuts. In the longer term there needs to be an open and honest discussion about the ongoing level of investment and new ways of working that will be required to meet the growing demands on our health and care services.’

• RELATED: Nurses set to vote on government’s ‘best and final’ pay offer

RCN Scotland members are currently voting on the government’s ‘best and final’ pay offer of between £2,205 and £2,751. Ministers say the ‘record’ offer represents an uplift of about 8.7% for nurses and 11.3% for the lowest-paid staff, and will be backdated to April.

Some nurses who are members of Unison and Unite have voted to accept the pay offer, with unions saying it shows strikes in England can be avoided if the government negotiates on pay.

The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.

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