With less than one week to go until the historic RCN strike ballot closes on Wednesday 2 November, research by London Economics commissioned by the RCN finds that salaries of NHS Agenda for Change nursing staff have not kept up with inflation over the last decade.
The analysis shows that an experienced nurse’s salary has fallen 20% in real terms since 2010. This means that nursing staff are effectively working one day a week for free, based on a five-day working week. This reduction, at a time of a cost-of-living crisis, means nursing staff are facing incredible financial hardship.
The report mentions that decreases in real-terms salaries are strongly associated with nursing staff leaving the profession, and the significant costs to the NHS of staff turnover. There are around 47,000 nursing vacancies in the NHS in England alone and in the last year 25,000 nursing staff left the UK register.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Pat Cullen, said: “This exploitation of nursing staff cannot be tolerated any longer. In the pandemic, the politicians urged the public to clap for carers, but now they are wilfully ignoring nursing’s astonishing efforts and expertise.”
Separately, a poll by YouGov shows nearly half of Britons (46%) have avoided using NHS services in the last 12 months, citing long waits (50%) and the level of pressure on the NHS (42%) amid concerns about lengthy waits for care. Earlier this month, the waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England topped seven million for the first time.
Pat added: “Ministers have stubbornly resisted the requirement to address the workforce crisis, including paying nursing fairly, instead rejecting any opportunity to act. They have taken advantage of nursing’s goodwill and steadfast determination to act in the interests of their patients.
“Our members have had enough. Expecting nursing staff to work one day a week for free is totally unacceptable.
“Patients deserve better from their politicians. Despite nursing staff working increasingly long hours and doing all they can, safe and effective care is being undermined by the failure of governments to act.”
