Ben Bradshaw MP meets Exeter nurses to hear concerns about SW pay cartel

Published: 05 September 2012

Ben Bradshaw, MP for Exeter, will meet members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Devon branch to hear their concerns about the South West pay terms and conditions consortium (aka the SW pay cartel) on Tuesday evening.

Throughout the afternoon RCN members will be meeting at the Exeter Inn to get the latest information about the SW pay cartel from the RCN.  At 5pm Mr Bradshaw will attend to listen to members about their concerns.

Jeannett Martin, RCN Regional Director for the South West region said:

“Nurses are extremely concerned about plans by the SW pay cartel to tear up national agreements on pay, terms and conditions.  These proposals are very bad for patients and bad for the South West economy.

There is no justification for hardworking nurses in the South West being paid less than other nurses in the rest of the country. 

If this happens then health care workers will have less of their pay available to spend within the South West. This will have a serious impact on the already fragile economy of the South West and effect pay for other workers too. 

Nurses are very concerned that a skills deficit will develop in the South West that will mean that patient care is affected.  It is very possible that once their pay goes down here health care workers may well move out of the Region to work in other areas that do offer the nationally agreed NHS terms and conditions and it is certain that these plans from the SW pay cartel will not make it easy for Trusts to attract replacements from outside of the South West. 

We want employers to work with their staff to find long term solutions to their problems that will not reduce the quality of patient care.

We are delighted that Mr Bradshaw is taking time to listen to nurses about this important issue.”

-Ends-

Notes to Editors

For further information, interviews or illustrations please contact Tracey Roberts, RCN Communications Officer for the South West on 01392 357019 or 07841 497 692, email tracey.roberts@rcn.org.uk; or the RCN National media office on 0207 647 3633, http://www.rcn.org.uk/news/mediacentre.php

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world.  The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.