Professor Nicola Ranger delivered her keynote speech on stage at RCN Congress to more than 3,000 nursing staff, saying she could feel the determination in the room and across the profession to fight for more.
Speaking on International Nurses’ Day (12 May), the RCN’s Chief Executive and General Secretary celebrated nursing staff everywhere, reminding the room that nursing is the cornerstone that sustains societies and that investing in the profession reaps rewards.
Nicola asked the crowd, “Does the nursing profession really know its value in 2025?”. She urged nursing staff everywhere to reflect on the positive impact they have on health care, adding that “when we show our worth, we are not quiet”.
Her message was clear – nursing demands investment, recognition and respect.
As nursing staff in the NHS across England, Wales and Northern Ireland wait to hear from government on pay, Nicola sent a strong message to political leaders: “I’m not here today to tell you we’re going on strike,” she told delegates in Liverpool. “And I’m not here today to tell you we’re not going on strike this year either. That’s not my call. You will decide how you feel. And we’ll plan together the best way to get what nursing needs. But to ministers I will say this: do not sail close to the wind.”
In her speech, Nicola set out the main issues facing nursing staff and the wider profession, and the actions the RCN is taking to fight for its members and the future of nursing. Below are the key things you need to know, on themes including pay, career progression, safe staffing, internationally educated nursing staff, social care reform, and the struggles student nurses are facing.
Pay
Nicola expressed frustration that pay awards for those working in the NHS are six weeks late and reiterated the RCN's position not to recognise the outdated Pay Review Body.
She said the RCN wants a significant pay rise for nursing staff, for every NHS employer to be given the full money to pay for it, and for general practice nurses to be given at least the same uplift as Agenda for Change. In Scotland, NHS staff are voting on their pay offer now and members can vote until Wednesday 14 May when the consultation closes.
Key quote
Government, stop the dither and delay and make the announcements today
Career progression
Nursing staff deserve a clear pathway to career progression, Nicola said, to bring parity with midwives and paramedics and greater recognition for nursing.
Calling the current Agenda for Change system “deeply insulting” and outdated, she said that no nurse should feel “trapped” at band 5. She laid out proposals for newly registered nurses to progress to band 6, following a period of preceptorship, as the new minimum. The detail of our case for change is published in a new report.
Key quote
So many nurses start and finish their career on the same band. With no recognition of all the experience gained over their career
Internationally educated nursing staff (IENs)
Nicola told colleagues what the government should be doing to make it easier for IENs to live and work in the UK, for the good of the NHS and the care sector.
She said the cost of immigration applications should be reduced significantly, the no recourse to public funds policy should be dropped, and indefinite leave to remain should be granted to all nursing staff – without delay.
Key quote
Give people the security, respect and stability they need
Student nursing
Nicola spoke about the crisis in nurse education. From nursing courses under threat of cuts at Cardiff University to students struggling financially to continue their studies and propping up unstaffed wards, she had a message for ministers: to listen to what students are saying. She urged that where tuition fees in England have been paid in recent years, refund them, and wipe away debt in exchange for guaranteed service in the health and care system.
YouGov polling conducted on behalf of the RCN, published on 11 May reveals that nine in 10 young people believe nursing is the most valuable career to society. However, young people are also aware of low pay and underfunded services in the profession, which means so few of them consider nursing as a career. Nicola added that unlocking the talent and potential of the younger generations should be an urgent priority for all governments, otherwise the staffing crisis we are in will only get worse.
Key quote
We cannot afford to lose a single person who would make an amazing nurse and touch thousands of lives
Social care reform
Speaking on the new independent commission to reform adult social care in England, Nicola asked, "Who thinks we can wait until 2036 for change?". She highlighted the importance of social care, in a world where we are living longer with more complex needs.
The UK government has today (12 May) announced tighter immigration controls and new restrictions on visas for care workers. Nicola said ministers should be focusing on creating an immigration system that works for nursing staff – we are so reliant on overseas colleagues, especially in social care.
She also raised the work the RCN has done in Scotland and Wales to lobby successfully for amendments to the Employment Rights Bill to give devolved governments the power to introduce collective bargaining arrangements in adult social care.
Key quote
The future of social care should be nurse-led
Ratios for safe staffing
Wales already has safe staffing legislation for some care settings. Scotland’s safe staffing act came into force on 1 April 2024, following sustained pressure on the Scottish government from the RCN and our members. This groundbreaking legislation sets out requirements for safe staffing across all health and care services. Nicola mentioned that Northern Ireland will soon follow.
She announced our refreshed Nursing Workforce Standards, being launched today, recommitting the RCN to campaigning for the introduction of safe nurse-to-patient ratios right across the UK.
Key quote
Safety is not an optional extra – it should be the standard
Corridor care
Last year at Congress, we declared a national emergency on corridor care. In January, we published a report documenting the experiences of more than 5,000 individual nursing staff. Nicola added that that it was the members’ voices that forced the health secretary to respond in the Westminster parliament, initiated debates in the Senedd, led to talks with Scotland’s first minister and cabinet secretary, and resulted in transparent data in Northern Ireland.
Key quote
Thank you for speaking up – this is how change happens, with our collective voice
Title of a nurse
There was an important reminder that the debates at Congress not only shape the RCN’s position on certain issues, but can change the law.
The UK government announced today that it is legally protecting the title “nurse”, a topic that was debated at Congress in 2022 and has since been the subject of a campaign led by our Deputy President Professor Alison Leary and featuring many of our members. Read more about the work we’ve done towards this so far.
This is a first step for political leaders to begin properly valuing nursing as a profession. The RCN looks forward to seeing the detail to fully understand how the proposed change will work in practice.
Key quote
Patients deserve to know who they are being treated by and know they can trust the knowledge, professionalism, and clinical expertise we bring
