Disappointment as most GPNs excluded from government’s nurse pay promise
Most general practice nurses (GPNs) are to be excluded from a pay and job progression promise agreed between the government and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in England.
The government has today announced that NHS nurses on Agenda for Change (AfC) contracts will receive a ‘career boost’ under plans agreed with health unions that include increased graduate nurse pay and a review of Band 5 nurse roles.
But given that a Nursing in Practice survey last year revealed only 9% of GPNs are on AfC, the government has confirmed that much of today’s announcement will not be applicable to those working in general practice.
The news has sparked disappointment among primary care nurses who say an ‘essential’ part of the nursing workforce has been excluded, and that doing so could damage recruitment and retention efforts in general practice.
Under plans announced today by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), it said it had agreed with the RCN and other health unions to:
- Prioritise increasing graduate pay
- Review the roles and pay bands of ‘every’ Band 5 nurse
- Establish a single national nursing preceptorship to create a national framework to support newly qualified nurses.
The DHSC confirmed to Nursing in Practice that its first two measures would only be applicable to those on AfC. It was yet to confirm whether GPNs would benefit from a new national nursing preceptorship framework.
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University of York research fellow and registered nurse Dr Helen Anderson said it was ‘disappointing’ that the government had not extended its pay review promises to nurses working in general practice and that unions had not been able to ‘negotiate parity’ for this part of the workforce.
‘Nurses working in general practice are essential to delivering the NHS plan and patient care more broadly,’ said Dr Anderson, who previously worked in primary care.
‘Focusing on one group of nurses while excluding others creates greater disparity, unfairness and ultimately negatively affects recruitment and retention of nurses in general practice.’
Strategic nurse lead at the Staffordshire Training Hub and programme director of a trailblazing GPN school, Rachel Viggars said the move from government ‘represents a significant opportunity to strengthen’ the nursing workforce for the future, but was also concerned about the omission of GPNs.
‘It is essential that the primary care nursing workforce is fully included in these reviews,’ said Ms Viggars.
‘Although most GPNs are not employed on Agenda for Change contracts, this should not prevent their inclusion in national workforce planning – including preceptorship, education and training standards, pay recommendations, and access to graduate guarantee support.
‘With growing numbers of newly qualified nurses keen to work in general practice, primary care employers need equitable access to this support, which is currently unavailable.’
Ms Viggars noted that GPNs deliver over nine million appointments each month and will ‘play a pivotal role’ in the government’s shifts from hospital to community care and from treatment to prevention.
‘By ensuring this specialist generalist workforce is fully recognised and included, we can promote greater equity across nursing career pathways and strengthen the whole system for the benefit of patients and communities,’ she added.
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The news comes as Nursing in Practice has launched a survey of GPNs on all things pay, terms and conditions, and job satisfaction.
The government’s promise for NHS AfC nurses in more detail:
The move comes ahead of discussions with health unions on improving the AfC pay structure and will now include a condition that ‘pay for all graduates should be increased’, with unions collectively to decide the level of this uplift. The DHSC said this would include nurses as well as occupational therapists, pharmacists, and speech and language therapists.
Funding will also be made available to support a review of the Band 5 review process and any resulting salary uplifts, and this will be separate to any funding for the 2026/27 cost of living pay award.
Separately, the chief nursing officer for England Duncan Burton will lead work on improving the quality and consistency of preceptorships across the country.
Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘Nurses have been arguing that they deserve more recognition – and rightly so. They are essential for leading and delivering our 10 Year Plan for Health, yet many nurses are not being fairly compensated for the work they do.
‘That’s why, this government is working constructively with the Royal College of Nursing to deliver a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work for nurses.’
Mr Streeting said he hoped AfC nurses ‘feel heartened that this is a significant leap forward for their profession and a sign of just how much the NHS and this government values them’.
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RCN general secretary and chief executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, said: ‘Today’s announcement is significant progress on career progression for nursing staff. Too many are not being paid fairly and valued for their skills and responsibilities in caring for patients, too often starting and finishing their careers on the same low pay band.
‘It is the first time nursing has been prioritised in this way. We set out a strong case for supporting nursing careers and the government has responded with a series of important commitments to staff in the NHS in England. For those who get a band uplift as a result, this is real change and real money.’
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