We are now counting down to the close of the RCN pay consultations on 27 July – you have just over a week to have your say. If you haven’t already voted on the consultations on NHS and HSC pay in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, please take this opportunity to tell us what you think.  

When the UK and Welsh governments announced the 3.6% pay award it was worth just an extra £5 a month for a band 5 nurse, similar to the cost of a supermarket meal deal. But this week inflation has risen to 3.6%, the same as the award. Your 3.6% award will be completely swallowed up by rising living costs.  

Just this week we published new analysis about the erosion of your pay – showing that starting salaries for nursing staff are now more than £8,000 lower than if wages had kept up with inflation since 2010. 

Does that represent your value? Is that enough? It could not be easier to vote. And when you’ve responded to the consultation, please encourage your colleagues to do the same. That’s how we make meaningful change happen.  

Nursing is an amazing profession, but we are weighted to the bottom of the NHS pay scales and received one of the lowest public sector pay awards this year. 

On Monday, the Secretary of State for Health, Wes Streeting MP, reaffirmed his commitment to Agenda for Change structural pay reform at the Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee. In all my conversations with the Secretary of State, I am clear that we expect structural pay reform that respects and recognises our safety-critical role in patient care.  

Our strength is in our collective voice. We’ve seen the positive impact direct negotiations have had for nursing staff in Scotland - we need Ministers to negotiate directly with the largest health care workforce across the UK.  

For members in Scotland, while you’ve already accepted your two-year pay deal from the Scottish Government, we are also running in person and online sessions until the end of the summer to support band 5 members who are taking part in the rebanding review. 

All of this important for the future of nursing, and I have recently been contacted by final year students struggling to find their first permanent nursing role after graduation. This is deeply worrying and I'm committed to supporting our student members - you are the future of our profession. So please tell us about your experiences - if you’re a final year nursing student we want to hear from you before our survey closes on Sunday.  The evidence and experiences we gather through this survey will strengthen our case and allow us to fight your corner.  

Yesterday was an important day in the RCN calendar, our 2025 Annual General Meeting was held at RCN HQ and online for those who couldn't be there in person. Thank you for everyone who was involved - your participation helped to shape how the RCN is run. Members voted on six resolutions, reflecting the voice of the membership and our commitment to stronger, more transparent governance. These results take us another step towards honouring the recommendations of two external reports on our governance and culture and holding ourselves to higher standards. You can read a summary of the AGM and outcomes here. 

At the start of the month, the Westminster Government released its eagerly anticipated NHS 10-Year Health Plan for England. The RCN contributed evidence to this work, so it is important that it reflects the needs of the nursing profession. Our explainer lets you know what this means for you. Thanks to the RCN-led corridor care coalition’s collective work and our persistent pressure on the UK government, corridor care is now explicitly referenced in the NHS 10 Year Plan, as well as the Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan.  

I’d also like to remind you that there is still time to sign the RCN Wales and BMA Cymru Wales petition on patient safety for Welsh Government to eradicate corridor care. We’re calling on the Welsh Government to immediately begin recording and reporting on corridor care in Wales. I’m really proud of the progress we have made right across the UK on ending corridor care this year.