RCN opposes Chancellor’s push for local pay deals

Published: 08 December 2011

For immediate release: Thursday 8th December 2011

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) today responded to a letter from Chancellor George Osborne to the pay review body. The letter proposes a move from a national NHS pay deal to one based on regional negotiation.

Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the RCN said:

“The national pay negotiation system works – it provides a good deal for nurses and for the tax payer. It also 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. A move which could see two nurses doing the same job but with a wide disparity in their pay could seriously short change patients in those areas which do not pay appropriately. No nurse enters the profession solely for the money, but every nurse is feeling the impact of spiralling costs of living and their choice of where to work will be influenced by affordability. If nurses’ earnings are lower in Sunderland than they are in Surrey, patients could be badly affected.”

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Notes for Editors

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The 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