We need nursing staff at every point in their career to be valued and properly rewarded – we need structural reform for nursing pay that goes beyond annual percentage pay rises.  

Negotiations with governments over structural pay reform in the NHS are ongoing. As part of these talks NHS health unions have told the Westminster, Wales and Northern Ireland governments that a 3.3% pay increase is not enough to keep pace with the cost of living. And it doesn’t address the longstanding unfairness of staff on Agenda for Change contracts getting less than other groups. Earlier this week, government also published it’s remit letter to the NHS PRB, launching the process for that body to issue recommendations on nursing pay. We’ve made it clear that this is not the right route and negotiations must be properly funded and committed to.  

Nursing staff feel the impact of decisions on nursing pay day in and day out – in understaffed settings, unable to retain the staff we so crucially need. As hard as we try we know that patients are not getting the standard of care they should. So the first step is for governments to recognise the problems with NHS pay and provide sufficient funding to make the structural changes that would positively impact recruitment and retention in the profession.

If you're passionate about nursing being recognised and valued fairly in your workplace, please do come forward and become a Job Evaluation Representative – we've seen what a positive impact members have had on the success of job evaluations in Scotland. So, if you haven’t been to one already, please sign up to one of our webinars to learn more about the job evaluation representative role, the difference you can make in workplaces, and the support available to help you become a rep.  

You’ll be hearing more about this in your workplaces, so look out for updates on activity happening near you and look out for your colleagues in unmissable yellow. We know what nursing is worth – and it’s time for employers to step up and recognise you for the skills, knowledges and responsibilities you take on each day.  

We’ve seen some worrying signs in recent weeks for the future of our profession – with cuts to funding for nursing courses which will potentially lead to course closures and will ultimately have an impact on patient care.  

Last week, I spoke at a Clinical Nurse Educators Network Conference in Birmingham, and it was a perfect opportunity to share our demands for nursing education in England. Nurse educators play a vital role in nursing, by teaching and training the next generation of nurses and helping current nursing staff develop their skills. So Governments should recognise nursing as a safety‑critical profession and urgently provide ringfenced funding to protect all nursing courses and ensure sustainable growth of the nurse educator workforce. 

And in response to the recent Treasury Committee’s report on student finance in England and Wales, we made it clear that the next government must grasp the nettle and forgive student loans for all those who go onto work in the NHS or social care. At RCN Congress in May, we set out to politicians and universities our top five priorities for student nurses – first while they are in education and again as they move into work. 

With the recent heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures, I know how difficult it can be for nursing staff to continue working in this heat. Combined with unforgiving uniforms, outdated heating systems and a lack of water stations, it can create dangerous work environments - we’ve had members collapsing from heat exhaustion on overheating wards. So, please remember that employers have a duty of care to keep you safe in hot weather – they must do all they can to protect staff and patient health and wellbeing as temperatures rise.  

But we must also acknowledge why these heatwaves are happening – and the RCN recognises climate change as the most significant global health threat we face. This requires urgent action and we are committed to action and advocacy in our dual role as a Trade Union and professional body to enable improved population health and resilience of our health and care services.   

The latest NHS England data on corridor care has also shown that the extreme heat is supercharging the problem, exposing already under-resourced services and putting people in serious danger. The hottest June on record saw nearly 3,200 people being cared for in corridors every day across hospitals, a 10% increase on the previous month.  

Let’s be clear: it is dangerous for patients, and exhausting and demoralising for nursing staff. We are deeply concerned that ministers aren’t yet recognising just how difficult things are and how much worse they could become without action. So the priority for the new Prime Minister and Health Secretary must be sustained investment in beds and the nursing workforce, alongside boosting capacity in community services and social care to treat people closer to home. 

Find out more about ways your employer should be helping to protect you during the heatwave. We’d also like to hear your experiences and concerns about working in extreme heat – both how it has affected you, the care you give, and the impact on your patients. Please get in touch with us via our Advice Team.  

Finally, you'll soon be able to vote for your RCN President and Council representatives. All members will receive a vote for President and a vote for their relevant representative on RCN Council, where their Council seat is up for election. Find out more information, including who has put themselves forward for election on our website.