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The new year has started with some good news

Sarah Dodsworth 19 Jan 2024

Firstly, Happy New Year! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and managed to get some much-needed rest and recuperation.

Piles of coins
The New Year started with some good news. The North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust became the third trust in the Northern region to commit to rebanding eligible band 2 health support workers to band 3, to reflect the increasing importance of the role and their contribution to patient care. Read more here.

Pay remains a top priority. The RCN will continue to support job evaluation for band 2 health support workers in the NHS as we also engage around the government’s consultation on the introduction of a pay spine specifically for nursing staff in the NHS. Our staffing for safe and effective care campaign work will be reinvigorated with a focus in this region on widely promoting our workforce standards. 

Sadly, our members in the independent health and social care (IHSC) sector don’t always receive the recognition they deserve. So, this year we will be delivering new professional learning and networking opportunities as well as supporting them to achieve the confidence to demand better pay to reflect their critically important skills.

So please do get involved with RCN Northern region and our 2024 priorities. You all very welcome and have an important part to play - whether its campaigning with us during a general election year; supporting our pay work; attending your local branch meeting or a learning event; or signing up to become more active as a steward, learning rep, safety rep or a nursing workforce standards champion
Sarah Dodsworth

Sarah Dodsworth

Regional Director, RCN Northern and Yorkshire & the Humber regions

Sarah has been a nurse for almost 35 years and is dual qualified in general and mental health nursing. Sarah previously held the post of operational manager for the RCN in its South East region before relocating to the North to take up posts in the care home sector and then the NHS.

Page last updated - 19/01/2024