RCN welcomes three-year pay agreement for nurses

Published: 07 April 2008

Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said: "We have always said we would only consider signing up to a three year pay deal if it was fair and offered nurses protection against future rises in inflation. We are delighted to put the RCN's name to a proposal that does just that.

"Nurses can now focus on doing what matters most, delivering high quality patient care, safe in the knowledge they have some degree of security over their household finances in the coming years. An important part of the package we have negotiated is to ensure nurses are protected against future price rises so we are delighted to have won a commitment to re-open pay talks should inflation rise sharply or if there are significant changes to the labour market. This process will be overseen by the independent pay review body.

"We have long argued that fair pay and decent conditions are vital to keep experienced nurses in the profession, while attracting much needed new blood. Given the uncertain economic climate and the government's tough public sector pay policy, this package, worth 7.99 percent over three years, is better than expected and goes some way towards bridging the gap between nurses' pay and other public sector workers. We will now be consulting our members for their views on this proposed agreement. Details of the RCN's consultation will be announced shortly."

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Notes to Editors

For further information, interviews or illustrations please contact the RCN Media Office on 0207 647 3633, press.office@rcn.org.uk or visit http://www.rcn.org.uk/news/mediacentre.php

Under the proposed multi-year agreement made between the RCN, Unison, NHS Employers and the Department of Health, a 2.75 percent pay award to NHS staff is proposed in 2008/09, with 2.4 percent proposed in 2009/10 and 2.25 percent in 2010/11. It is proposed that a further 0.59 percent is made up by making changes to incremental points to staff employed in bands 1, 5 and 6, making the total package under consideration worth 7.99 percent.

It is also proposed that the NHS Pay Review Body continue to gather evidence throughout the period of the agreement and in the event it receives and identifies new evidence of a significant and material change in recruitment and retention and wider economic and labour market conditions, it may request a remit from the Secretary of State to review the increases set out in the agreement for years 2 and 3.

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.