Earlier this year, we entered dispute with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on behalf of band 6 district nurses over the health board’s failure to conduct a job evaluation based on a job description ready for evaluation in 2023.  

In an RCN ballot of district nurse members working in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, a huge majority indicated that they were willing to take strike action, demonstrating their strength of feeling over the way they had been treated by the health board.  

As a result, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has now agreed to follow the correct and fair job evaluation process and, last week, it was confirmed that the district nurses with the specialist qualification will be rebanded to band 7, effective retrospectively from May 2022.

The RCN trade dispute will remain in place until the eligible staff have all been rebanded and received the backpay they are entitled to. 

Barbara Sweeney, Senior Officer, RCN Scotland said:

“We are delighted with the successful outcome of this dispute and want to congratulate the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde district nurses on their much-deserved rebanding.  

“District nursing teams are vital to our community health services and the impact of their work is felt across the system. They play an essential role in supporting quick and effective discharge from hospital, improving patient flow, and in providing preventative support within communities to help patients to remain at home and prevent hospital admission in the first place. This outcome is a recognition of their clinical skills and the essential work they do every day.” 

Philip Coghill, Head of Pay, Terms and Conditions, RCN Scotland, said:  

“There is no doubt that this is the right outcome for our members in Glasgow, but I am confident that this does not stop here. This outcome should serve as notice to other NHS Boards that the safety critical role of district nurses, and many other roles across the nursing profession, are not being fairly recognised and rewarded.”