From today, 345,000 nursing staff will be asked by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) if this year’s NHS pay award is enough in the biggest single vote of the profession ever launched in the UK.
Last month, the Westminster government accepted the recommendation of the Pay Review Body, giving nursing staff In England’s NHS a pay award of 3.6%.
This will see nursing staff receive a pay award 'entirely swallowed up by inflation', with doctors, teachers, prison officers and the armed forces all receiving a larger uplift.
The RCN described the award for nursing staff being behind other professions as ‘grotesque’.
An identical award was made in Wales, while in Northern Ireland, the Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, has announced his wish to implement a 3.6% pay rise, but this is still to be agreed.
The vote will be crucial in determining the next steps taken by the College, which could include a ballot for strike action. The vote will include RCN members working in the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Speaking from an international nursing conference in Helsinki and on the launch of the vote, Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, will say:
“I’m with nurses from around the world today asking why it is our ministers in the UK who have once again put nursing at the back of the queue when it comes to pay.
"Nursing is an incredible career but despite being the most valued profession by the public we continue to be weighted to the bottom of the NHS pay scale and are set to receive one of the lowest pay awards. It is time to show that nurses are valued and, from today, hundreds of thousands of nursing staff working in the NHS will give their verdict on whether 3.6% is enough.”
Nursing staff in England have faced over a decade of pay erosion since 2010/11, with pay down by a quarter in real terms. As a result, there are over 26k unfilled nursing posts, while student recruitment has collapsed and the numbers quitting is skyrocketing.
Professor Ranger will say:
“Over a decade of pay erosion has had a devastating impact on our profession, forcing increasing numbers into quitting while putting off the nurses of the future. When our members vote, they won’t just be voting on the fairness of the award for themselves, but if it’s enough to turn our profession around.”
The record-breaking vote is also launched ahead of the UK government’s Spending Review when ministers are expected to lay out a programme of capital investment, including in NHS buildings. As well as fair pay for nursing staff, the RCN is calling on the government to deliver sustained investment in community NHS services and social care.
Professor Ranger will also say:
“Ministers talk a good game when it comes to nursing, but too many see us as a photo opportunity, rather than a crucial workforce worthy of investment. This week’s spending review should provide a reminder that we need investment in people through their pay packets, not just buildings.”
Ends
Notes to editors
On 22 May, the Westminster government announced a 3.6% pay increase across all bands, backdated to 1 April 2025 in England. The same award was announced in Wales. A 3.6% award has also been signed off by the health minister in Northern Ireland, but not officially made.
- Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland there are over 28,000 vacant registered nurse posts
- Between 2021 and 2024, the numbers of nurses leaving within 10 years of registering increased by 43%, whilst those leaving within five years rose a staggering 67%.
- The most recent figures from UCAS show a fall of 34% in applications to nursing courses across the UK.
- Across the UK, the number of applicants to nursing courses fell to 46,915 in 2024 from 48,625 the previous year. This means that 1,710 fewer individuals applied to nursing courses (a 3.5% decrease).
