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• Staff in delegated grades at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) apart from staff within the senior leadership grade structure of Executive grades 1, 2, and 3*  
• Staff at Healthwatch England (HWE) 
• Staff at the National Guardian’s Office (NGO) 

*Information about the award to colleagues in the Executive 3 grade is also contained in the offer 

The consultation is open until 12 noon on 14 November. You will not be able to vote after this time.

You can cast your vote by logging in above. Only RCN members employed by CQC, HWE or NGO are eligible to take part in the consultation on this pay offer.

To update your details, please log in to MyRCN, call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100 (select option one), or email membership@rcn.org.uk. You’ll need your membership number.  

Your employer will not know if or how you chose to vote on this offer. Your vote is confidential, and the consultation is conducted by the RCN.

We’ll inform CQC of the outcome of this vote.

Yes, provided you are an RCN member and employed by one of the organisations listed above, you are eligible to take part in the consultation on this pay offer. For your vote to be counted, your MyRCN record must be updated to include that you work there.

To update your details, log in to MyRCN or call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100 (select option one), or email membership@rcn.org.uk. You’ll need your membership number.  

If the majority of members who vote accept the offer, we’ll advise CQC that:

• RCN members accept the offer
• we expect members to receive the uplift in the December 2025 pay packet
• all increases to be backdated to 1 September 2025.

If the majority of members who vote reject the offer, we’ll seek to reopen negotiations with CQC and discuss with you your options.  

You don’t need an email to vote. You can simply log in and vote on our website.

To be eligible to vote, your RCN record must show that you work at one of the organisations listed above. You can update your details on MyRCN, or call RCND on 0345 772 6100 to make sure that your details are correct.  

We’re not making a recommendation about how you vote on this pay offer. We do encourage you to use your vote and have your say.  

The effect on your benefit depends on your individual circumstances and the type of benefit you receive. Members who are on means-tested benefits, such as universal credit, should consider the implications of CQC's pay offer before voting to reject or accept it in the consultation.

To check your benefits situation, call the Citizens Advice Helpline on 0800 144 8848 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Calls are free.  

The offer is a gross figure (before tax), and you need to take deductions into account when considering the pay offer.

Pay is subject to tax and national insurance contributions. You should check the current income tax and national insurance rates to assess how the pay offer will affect your take-home pay. You can use the UK government income tax calculator to do so.

Rises in pensionable pay are also subject to increases in pension contributions.  

Members of pension schemes pay a proportion of their wages into their pension, as does their employer. The pension these members receive is determined by how much is paid into this pension and how it is invested by the pension provider. For most members in any pension schemes, receiving a higher wage may lead to higher pension contributions, but exactly what the impact of this pay offer will be will depend on your individual circumstances.

We cannot give you advice on the impact of this pay offer on your pension. If you want to know more about your pension, you should consult your pension provider first and then take up financial advice if necessary.