RCN comment on Southwest pay cartel

Published: 15 July 2012

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) today commented on the proposed southwest pay cartel. Jeannett Martin, RCN Director in the South West, said:

“It is really quite shocking that, at a time when the NHS is so strapped for cash, 20 Trusts are ploughing £200,000 into a scheme to cut pay, terms and conditions for hard working NHS staff. In addition, there will need to be significant internal HR and financial resources employed to deliver this agenda.

“This is money that should be spent on improving patient care in the south west – not on a project that aims to leave staff working longer hours, with less annual leave and for a smaller pay packet. The history of the NHS has been littered with similar attempts to introduce local pay in the past and the employers have consistently been unable to deliver on this. Agenda for Change, the national pay system, provides a fair, transparent system. It means that in any part of the country, employers know they can recruit staff with the right skills and experience to give patients the care that they need.

“The Government should be focusing on sustaining the morale of nurses, many of whom are working under extreme pressure to deliver care for patients. We believe morale and motivation across the NHS workforce could be further damaged by a move to local pay and that this could have serious implications for the recruitment and retention of staff. If this proposal is implemented in the South West it will have serious implications for patient care.”