RCN member consultations on the NHS/HSC pay awards for nursing staff employed on NHS Terms and Conditions (Agenda for Change) in England, Northern Ireland and Wales are now open.
We’re asking members if 3.6% is enough.
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 by the government in Wales.
In Northern Ireland, the Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has announced his wish to implement the Pay Review Body (PRB) recommendation of a 3.6% pay rise. This is for those employed on Agenda for Change terms and conditions for 2025-26.
However, he has been advised that currently the funding for the award has not been identified. Therefore, the issue has been referred to the Finance Minister, who will need to secure the support of the wider Northern Ireland Executive before he can confirm any details of the award. This means the 2025-26 pay award for members in Northern Ireland is not yet finalised. Despite this, it’s so important we know how members in Northern Ireland feel about the 3.6% recommendation of the PRB.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said pay awards of 3.6% would be “entirely swallowed up by inflation and do nothing to change the status quo – where nursing is not valued, too few enter the profession and too many quit.”
RCN members are eligible to vote in the RCN consultations if they work in the NHS in England or Wales or in the HSC in Northern Ireland on Agenda for Change terms and conditions.
Check your details are up to date, including your band, and vote now.
In response to the consultations opening, Nicola said: “It is time to show that nursing staff are valued and, from today, hundreds of thousands of RCN members working in the NHS and HSC will give their verdict on whether 3.6% is enough.
“When you vote, I don't just want you to vote on the fairness of the award itself, but also if it’s enough to turn our profession around.”
Please make sure the details we hold for you are up to date.
