Nurse pay deal could be delayed until winter without urgent action
Posted 03 June 2024 - 15:45
Speaking at the RCN annual congress, acting leader Nicola Ranger said that whoever wins the general election must stop delays and get a nursing pay deal done
The next government must work through parliament's summer recess to resolve the issue of nurses’ pay, says RCN acting general secretary Nicola Ranger.
Addressing delegates at RCN congress in Newport, Wales, Ms Ranger said that with NHS pay rise delays expected to drag on until November ‘ministers must negotiate through the summer to get a deal done quickly.'
RCN ready to meet and negotiate with next prime minister and health secretary
She added: ‘NHS workers deserve a fair award and it is unfair to keep them guessing. Whoever the prime minister and health secretary will be, we can meet and we will negotiate.
‘Long delays and disappointing awards would fail to move the debate on from the past two years. Nursing is always money well spent.’
The NHS Pay Review Body had been expected to formally report its recommendations for the 2024-25 pay award to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) by the end of May.
But the DHSC told Nursing Standard it was unable to confirm whether the recommendations would be published given the upcoming election on 4 July and the possible implications of purdah, or pre-election restrictions on announcements, and rules around impartiality.
With any pay progress looking unlikely until after the election, unions are calling on the new government to make pay an immediate priority, with NHS staff facing a six month wait for a pay rise to land in their bank accounts.
Addressing NHS pay is essental for progress on waiting lists and stemming flow of staff leaving, says Unison
If the pay offer is delayed until parliament sits again in September, the NHS pay rise will not reach payslips until November at the earliest and could be delayed further if unions decide to reject it and take action.
Unison head of health Helga Pile said: ‘Whoever is in government in five weeks’ time will need to address NHS pay as an immediate priority.
‘This is essential if there’s to be any progress on reducing waiting lists and stemming the flow of staff leaving for better paid jobs elsewhere.’
Pay, end to corridor care and state-funded degrees among key points in RCN 'election manifesto'
Ms Ranger, in her keynote speech and first address to members as acting general secretary since the departure of Pat Cullen last week, also announced a 12-point general election manifesto from the RCN.
The headline policies include a substantial pay rise for all nursing staff, eradication of corridor care, improved staff-patient ratios, government-funded nursing degrees, revoking anti-strike legalisation and protecting the title of 'nurse' in law.
In other news