Nursing is an amazing career, one that should be valued and invested in. The government has announced a 3.6% pay award for NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts in England, with an identical award made in Wales. In Northern Ireland, the Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, has announced his wish to implement the 3.6% award, but this is yet to be agreed. If you work in the NHS in England and Wales or HSC in Northern Ireland, it’s time to vote and tell us - do you think 3.6% is enough?
With your vote you’ll speak up for your profession and protect your patients. We want to hear from you – about what you want, and what this award means for you. By voting in this consultation it means that when I talk to governments about nursing pay, you’re in the room with me. Because we are at our strongest when we are representing the voices of our members. So please let us know what you think and have your say.
We know that the public backs better pay for nursing - they see our value. And importantly we must value ourselves. There are thousands of conversations happening right now – all about the true value of nursing. Does 3.6% do enough to value nursing?
I’m also looking forward to next month’s Annual General Meeting, which is open to RCN members. Your voice matters – and this is your opportunity to help shape the future of the RCN. The AGM isn’t just a formality - it’s a chance for members to have a say in how the College is run, and how we protect and represent the profession. This year's AGM will take place on the afternoon of Thursday 17 July at RCN HQ. If you’d like to join us either in person or online, further information is available here. I hope to see you there.
I’ve always said that whatever area you want to focus on in your career, there is a place for you in nursing. In another important step for career progression, we’ve brought together a comprehensive set of career frameworks to guide nursing staff and aspiring professionals.
This tool helps to show options available to nursing staff throughout your careers, possibly in areas you hadn’t considered before, such as research, academia and leadership. It can be used by anyone - from a teenage student who wants to work in health care, to an experienced nursing professional looking for a career change.
In the last few weeks I had a fantastic time celebrating the amazing nursing professionals in Northern Ireland and Scotland, at their Nurse of the Year Awards. In Northern Ireland, Kelly Forbes, a senior mental health nurse with Newry and District GP Federation received the title RCN Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year 2025. In Scotland, Kirsty Cartin was celebrated for fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement at Rashielee Care Home in Erskine. My huge congratulations to all the winners, and everyone nominated. They were joyful events celebrating the very best of our profession. There is still time to vote for the Nurse of the Year Awards in Wales, so make sure you cast your vote.
June is of course also Pride month. Thank you to RCN colleagues organising Pride events across the UK and RCN London colleagues who organised Pride, Power and Nursing last week at RCN HQ. The RCN will continue to champion equality, inclusion and human rights across the profession.
And starting this month, we’re holding online and in-person sessions to find out more about the impact of the UK Supreme Court judgment from April on the legal definition of sex, in relation to the Equality Act 2010 on employment and clinical practice. We’re providing a safe, inclusive space for members to discuss their thoughts and how to protect the privacy and dignity of patients. I really hope you will share your views with us.
I’d also like to highlight a really important piece of collaboration in RCN Northern Ireland. From this autumn, nursing students at Queen’s University Belfast will be the first to receive dedicated training on domestic abuse and violence against women and girls as part of their degree. Domestic abuse is a complex matter that all healthcare professionals should be equipped to recognise and respond to. And this pioneering programme, The Unlock Safety Initiative, will help them to do this.
To finish, today, we have announced we’re stopping credentialing of advanced nursing practice. Following our lobbying to the NMC for a formal regulatory system, the NMC committed to setting the professional standards for and regulating advanced level nurses. We will work with the NMC as they plan this regulatory reform. You can read more about this on our website.
With your vote you’ll speak up for your profession and protect your patients. We want to hear from you – about what you want, and what this award means for you. By voting in this consultation it means that when I talk to governments about nursing pay, you’re in the room with me. Because we are at our strongest when we are representing the voices of our members. So please let us know what you think and have your say.
We know that the public backs better pay for nursing - they see our value. And importantly we must value ourselves. There are thousands of conversations happening right now – all about the true value of nursing. Does 3.6% do enough to value nursing?
I’m also looking forward to next month’s Annual General Meeting, which is open to RCN members. Your voice matters – and this is your opportunity to help shape the future of the RCN. The AGM isn’t just a formality - it’s a chance for members to have a say in how the College is run, and how we protect and represent the profession. This year's AGM will take place on the afternoon of Thursday 17 July at RCN HQ. If you’d like to join us either in person or online, further information is available here. I hope to see you there.
I’ve always said that whatever area you want to focus on in your career, there is a place for you in nursing. In another important step for career progression, we’ve brought together a comprehensive set of career frameworks to guide nursing staff and aspiring professionals.
This tool helps to show options available to nursing staff throughout your careers, possibly in areas you hadn’t considered before, such as research, academia and leadership. It can be used by anyone - from a teenage student who wants to work in health care, to an experienced nursing professional looking for a career change.
In the last few weeks I had a fantastic time celebrating the amazing nursing professionals in Northern Ireland and Scotland, at their Nurse of the Year Awards. In Northern Ireland, Kelly Forbes, a senior mental health nurse with Newry and District GP Federation received the title RCN Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year 2025. In Scotland, Kirsty Cartin was celebrated for fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement at Rashielee Care Home in Erskine. My huge congratulations to all the winners, and everyone nominated. They were joyful events celebrating the very best of our profession. There is still time to vote for the Nurse of the Year Awards in Wales, so make sure you cast your vote.
June is of course also Pride month. Thank you to RCN colleagues organising Pride events across the UK and RCN London colleagues who organised Pride, Power and Nursing last week at RCN HQ. The RCN will continue to champion equality, inclusion and human rights across the profession.
And starting this month, we’re holding online and in-person sessions to find out more about the impact of the UK Supreme Court judgment from April on the legal definition of sex, in relation to the Equality Act 2010 on employment and clinical practice. We’re providing a safe, inclusive space for members to discuss their thoughts and how to protect the privacy and dignity of patients. I really hope you will share your views with us.
I’d also like to highlight a really important piece of collaboration in RCN Northern Ireland. From this autumn, nursing students at Queen’s University Belfast will be the first to receive dedicated training on domestic abuse and violence against women and girls as part of their degree. Domestic abuse is a complex matter that all healthcare professionals should be equipped to recognise and respond to. And this pioneering programme, The Unlock Safety Initiative, will help them to do this.
To finish, today, we have announced we’re stopping credentialing of advanced nursing practice. Following our lobbying to the NMC for a formal regulatory system, the NMC committed to setting the professional standards for and regulating advanced level nurses. We will work with the NMC as they plan this regulatory reform. You can read more about this on our website.
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