The latest pay deal, coupled with the growing cost of living crisis and unrelenting pressures of the job, is leaving nurses at financial, physical and professional breaking point. Over 25,000 left the profession last year alone. It failed to match the rising cost of living or meet the RCN’s expectation of an announcement 5% above inflation.
Regional Director for the RCN in the North-West, Estephanie Dunn, said:
“This is a historic period, as NHS nursing staff across the North West join those from across the UK in deciding whether to take strike action. This is about paying nursing staff fairly, protecting our NHS, and ensuring patients get the care they deserve.
“There are over 5,700 nursing vacancies just in the NHS across the North-West, and nearly 50,000 nationally. It’s no wonder that nursing staff are burnt out. They are over-worked, under-valued, and under-paid. This government needs to recognise that this is one of the consequences of underinvesting in health and care and not valuing this profession enough.
“After years of cuts to nursing pay and using workforce numbers as a mechanism to balance budgets, nursing has decided that the time has come to make a stand and demand fairer pay and safer staffing levels.
“Negotiation has not been successful, and this is the last option open to us. Things have to change now. Promises of a better future have never materialised, and our members continue to struggle to make ends meet.
“Our officers, reps and volunteers have been out and about talking to our members and they have made their feelings clear. Enough is enough.”
This is the first time in its 106-year history that the RCN has balloted members across the UK on strike action and it is urging them to vote in favour to tell ministers that they must listen and act now to protect the NHS and patient care. The ballot closes on 2 November.
