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NHS nurses accept 2023/24 pay deal in Scotland

NHS nurses accept 2023/24 pay deal in Scotland

Nurses in Scotland have voted to accept the government’s latest NHS 2023/24 pay deal, unions have announced.

Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Unison have both accepted the offer, which will see NHS staff in Scotland given a pay increase of at least 6.5%, as well as a 1.5% one-off payment.

The RCN said its members had voted in favour by a narrow majority and that its strong mandate for strike action had helped secure the deal.

Colin Poolman, RCN Scotland director said: “Our members voted for strike action with a heavy heart.

‘Their commitment to standing up for patients and their profession brought Scottish Government back to the table.

‘Members have narrowly voted to accept this offer, but Scottish Government must be under no illusion, much more is required for nursing staff to feel valued and to ensure Scotland has the nursing workforce it needs. They must live up to their promises.’

RCN Scotland has not provided a breakdown of its results for the consultative ballot on the 2023-24 deal.

Meanwhile, Unison has unveiled that of the 54% of members who responded to its digital ballot, a large 78.5% had voted to accept the 2023-24 deal.

Chair of Unison Scotland’s health committee, Wilma Brown, added: ‘Whilst acceptance of this pay offer will remove the spectre of industrial action there is no room for complacency.’

She warned more needed to be done to tackle the ‘staffing crisis’ within the NHS in Scotland and called for further investment from the Government to ‘ensure that patients and staff get the NHS they deserve’.

Midwives and maternity support workers who are members of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) have also accepted the pay offer following a consultation.

In a turnout of 44% of eligible RCM members working in the NHS in Scotland, 69% voted to accept the deal, with 31% rejecting it.

Jaki Lambert, RCM Director for Scotland, said it was a ‘good offer that gives our members most of what they had been asking for including an above inflation pay award’.

 

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