Nurses across England this week rejected a proposed 5.5% pay rise for 2024/2025, criticising current working conditions.
On 29 July, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said a 5.5% pay rise to nurses would be expected “within the next month”.
But on Monday 23 September, the RCN released a statement that out of 145,000 voting members, two-thirds were against this year’s pay award.
They also said the pay of an experienced nurse has been reduced by 25% under the previous Conservative government.
Sharon Bissessar is a nurse and the Senior Regional Officer of the RCN who represents nurses primarily in North West London.
She said: “We have nurses who are using food banks, we have nurses who are struggling to maintain their bills at home.
“Nurses in London are working very hard to ensure they provide the best care to patients but under very difficult circumstances.
“It is the strength of feeling from the nursing profession that something has to change.”
In January, RCN members were surveyed about their cost of living conditions.
John Considine, RCN Communications Manager for London, explained the findings which revealed the stark number of nurses who plan to leave for higher-paid professions in the short to mid-term.
He stated: “55% of nurses said that they are very likely or somewhat likely to leave a career in nursing altogether within the next five years.”
As a result of low pay and poor working conditions, Bissessar explained “there are huge gaps, and shortages in staffing now,” which she said is a threat to the “safety of patient care”.
Bissessar stated that the government needs to provide higher compensation for their work.
She said: “It would be the first, most vital strategy.
“The government needs to assist with affordable housing and free transport, make clear plans for safe staffing, and create clear plans to recruit and retain staff.
“They need to get waiting plans down, and improve care.”
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the largest NHS trade union, represents more than 500,000 members in 12 different regions in the UK.
Since 1916, the organisation has supported the working rights of nurses campaigning for fair pay, safe working conditions, respect for LGBT+ nurses, and funding their mental health support.
General Secretary and Chief Executive of the RCN Professor Nicola Ranger also described the immense courage of nursing staff in England expressing their determination to “stand up for themselves” and the “NHS they believe in”.
In a letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Ranger said: “Our members do not yet feel valued and they are looking for urgent action, not rhetorical commitments.
“They need to see that the government’s reform agenda will transform their profession as a central part of improving care for the public.”
Photo credit: Royal College of Nursing
Join the discussion