The Royal College of Nursing has accused the government of insulting the nursing profession.
Nicola Ranger, chief executive of the RCN, will call on the government to not “sail too close to the wind”, when it comes time to confirm pay increases.
Last month, independent pay review bodies made recommendations to the government regarding public sector pay. However, nurses and teachers are growing impatient with confirmation of rates for 2025-26.
The NHS Pay Review Body has proposed a pay increase of around 3%.
The nurses last took industrial actions in December 2022 to May 2023. They received a pay offer for 2023-24 of 5%, along with a one-off payment up to PS3,789.
Ranger will tell congress that if you continue to insult the profession and leave it sickly and underpaid, this could escalate.
The RCN has not yet held an official vote, but it will ask its members what action they are prepared to take in the event that they disagree with the proposed settlement.
She will say that: “We must give nurses a substantial pay increase and every NHS employer should be given enough money to do so. Anything less is a cut in patient services.”
I’m not here telling you that we are going on strike. We will discuss your feelings and decide together what is best for nursing.
The British Medical Association’s resident doctors committee will open a ballot this month on industrial action in England that closes 7 July.
Filling in the gaps for nursing students
The RCN also wrote to the government, calling for an end to the practice of using students to fill in staff gaps when they are on placement.
The union claims that students are taking on “significant responsibilities”, when they should just be watching, and this is seriously impacting their mental and physical well-being.
Ranger stated: “Nursing can be a rewarding career, but we take the goodwill and future nurses for granted.” Students report that they are not learning as much as they should.
Students on placement should observe complex skills and be exposed to various situations that prepare them for the workplace.
It’s unacceptable to use the same students, not only for their educational opportunities but also to staff understaffed wards after years of underinvestment into the nursing profession.
The RCN is calling for better financial support to nursing students. This includes a universal grant for maintenance in England, which would consider the cost of living, as well as “forgiving” debts for those who agree to work in health and care after graduation.
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