Nurses in England reject government’s 5.5% pay award

Nurses in England have rejected the government’s pay award of a 5.5% rise, the Royal College of Nursing has said.

RCN members rejected the deal by two-thirds in a vote with a record high turnout of about 145,000. The pay award was announced by the chancellor at the end of July, shortly after Labour won the general election.

The nursing union said the high turnout surpassed that of two statutory ballots for industrial action held by the union in 2022 and 2023, the first of which permitted six months of strike action by nursing staff.

In a letter to the health secretary, Wes Streeting, the RCN general secretary, Prof Nicola Ranger, said: “We are witnessing a fundamental shift in the determination of nursing staff to stand up for themselves, their patients and the NHS they believe in.

“Many will support the new government’s health and care agenda as set out in recent weeks and fully recognise the diagnosis of a failing NHS. Working closely with all other professionals, nursing staff are the lifeblood of the service. The government will find our continued support for the reforms key to their success.”

Ranger added that to raise standards and reform the NHS, safe numbers of nursing staff were required who needed to feel valued. “Nursing staff were asked to consider if, after more than a decade of neglect, they thought the pay award was a fair start. This outcome shows their expectations of government are far higher.

“Our members do not yet feel valued and they are looking for urgent action, not rhetorical commitments. Their concerns relate to understaffed shifts, poor patient care and nursing careers trapped at the lowest pay grades – they need to see that the government’s reform agenda will transform their profession as a central part of improving care for the public.”

The announcement comes after a vote last week by junior doctors to accept a multi-year pay rise to end their long running dispute. Members of other health unions have accepted the 5.5% pay deal, which is for 2024-25.

More details soon …