The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is calling for a 5% rise above the RPI inflation rate, which is currently over 14%. That would mean more than a 19% pay rise, which the government has said is out of reach. NHS staff in England and Wales – including nurses – have an average rise of 4.75%. The lowest paid were guaranteed a rise of at least £1,400. In Northern Ireland, nurses have now been told they will receive the same pay award and the increase will be retroactive. In Scotland, NHS staff were initially offered 5%, which was later changed to a flat rate of just over £2,200 – and rejected by the RCN. An improved pay offer averaging 7.5% has since been made and accepted by some unions. Others, including the RCN, are still looking into it. The RCN says this year’s below-inflation pay award followed years of pressure on nurses’ pay. It says that average pay for nurses fell by 6% between 2011 and 2021 – when inflation is taken into account – compared to a 4.6% drop across the UK workforce as a whole. The RCN says this puts care at risk because it means the NHS struggles to attract and retain nurses. But the government said this year’s pay rise is in line with what the independent NHS pay review body recommended. Read more here.
