English Nurses Reject 5.5% Pay Rise in Recent Vote
Nurses in England are making their voices heard as they overwhelmingly reject a 5.5% pay rise offered by the government for the 2024/25 fiscal year.
A record turnout of 145,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) participated in the vote, with about two-thirds saying "no" to the proposed increase. This decision comes on the heels of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' announcement in late July, which accepted recommendations from the NHS Pay Review Body.
While the pay increase is set to be implemented next month and is backdated to April 1, 2024, the RCN emphasises that this is not enough to address the long-standing issues facing nursing staff.
Professor Nicola Ranger, the RCN’s General Secretary, expressed the sentiment in a letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, stating that nurses are witnessing a "fundamental shift in the determination of nursing staff to stand up for themselves, their patients and the NHS."
Vote reflects urgent need for change
The recent vote highlights a growing discontent among nursing staff in England, who are seeking more substantial improvements to their pay and working conditions. As discussions about NHS reform continue, the RCN insists that government action is necessary to address the underlying issues facing the profession.
The RCN is not currently planning a ballot for strike action, choosing instead to gauge the government’s response to the recent vote.
The nursing union argues that experienced nurses have seen their pay drop by 25% in real terms since 2010 under previous Conservative governments.
Ranger pointed out that the vote reflects the urgent need for reform, stating, “To raise standards and reform the NHS, you need safe numbers of nursing staff and they need to feel valued.”
Many nursing professionals have expressed frustration over "understaffed shifts, poor patient care, and nursing careers trapped at the lowest pay grades."
Government makes progress in other areas of healthcare
Despite the RCN's rejection, some progress has been noted. Junior doctors recently voted to accept a multi-year pay rise, and members from other health unions have accepted the same 5.5% pay deal. However, RCN members feel their expectations are higher, particularly after a decade of what they describe as neglect.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting acknowledged the challenges faced by nurses, stating, “We know what nurses have been through in recent years and how hard it is at the moment.”
He emphasised that for the first time in a long time, nurses have a government willing to work alongside them to help the NHS recover from its current crisis.
While the government has made efforts to engage with healthcare professionals, some critics, including Shadow Health Secretary Victoria Atkins, argue that the response to the nurses' concerns has been insufficient. She remarked that the government should have anticipated the backlash, especially after awarding junior doctors a significant pay rise.
“In under three months,” she said, “ministers... have now opened a dispute with hundreds of thousands of nurses and midwives.”
With ongoing discussions at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, the outcome of this vote is a clear signal that nursing staff are ready for change.
