Responding to the Prime Minister's speech on social care, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said:

“Today the Prime Minister has shown again that he gets the urgent need for social care reform. Nursing staff, who share his sentiments and sense of urgency, won’t forgive politicians if they fail in their moral duty to get behind this.

“A national care service has the potential to change lives and the Prime Minister is right to place keen emphasis on 'person-centred care'. A sustainable system and a new model with registered nurse-led care at its core will be transformative in delivering high quality, person-centred treatment and support, while reducing the pressure on the NHS. The Big Conversation must also be an honest one, including how we sustainably grow the registered nurse workforce to deliver this expansion of care.

"It's refreshing to hear a Prime Minister so directly address poor pay in social care, which remains one of the biggest barriers to recruiting and retaining skilled staff. The goal now must be making social care an employer of choice, on a par with the NHS, with people able to move between services without risking a cut in their pay.

“The forthcoming Fair Pay Agreement is a golden opportunity for the new government to signal its intentions for staff in the sector and to turn the corner on low wages and poor terms and conditions, including unacceptable levels of exploitation of migrant staff.

"As the largest clinical workforce in health and care, nursing has the solutions at its fingertips and stands ready to be part of the Big Conversation.”

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