The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has today launched a consultation of 345,000 NHS nursing staff on whether they believe the 2025/26 pay award ‘is enough’.
RCN members working in the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been asked to ‘give their verdict’ on a 3.6% pay rise, as announced by the Westminster Government last month.
The college said the vote would be ‘crucial’ in determining its next steps, ‘which could include a ballot for strike action’.
The RCN has described the pay award for NHS Agenda for Change nursing staff – which is in line with the recommendations of the NHS Pay Review Body – as ‘grotesque’.
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The governments in England and Wales have both announced they have accepted the pay review body’s recommendation and that staff will receive the pay uplift – backdated to April – in August.
In Northern Ireland, health minister, Mike Nesbitt, has announced his wish to implement a 3.6% pay rise, but this is still to be agreed.
Speaking from an international nursing conference in Helsinki and on the launch of the vote, Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN general secretary and chief executive, will say: ‘I’m with nurses from around the world today asking why it is our ministers in the UK who have once again put nursing at the back of the queue when it comes to pay.
‘Nursing is an incredible career but despite being the most valued profession by the public we continue to be weighted to the bottom of the NHS pay scale and are set to receive one of the lowest pay awards.
‘It is time to show that nurses are valued and, from today, hundreds of thousands of nursing staff working in the NHS will give their verdict on whether 3.6% is enough.’
Professor Ranger will also say: ‘Over a decade of pay erosion has had a devastating impact on our profession, forcing increasing numbers into quitting while putting off the nurses of the future.
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‘When our members vote, they won’t just be voting on the fairness of the award for themselves, but if it’s enough to turn our profession around.’
The vote – which the RCN says is ‘the biggest single vote of the profession ever’ – comes ahead of the UK Government’s Spending Review this week.
As previously reported, the RCN has demanded ‘urgent action’ to recruit, support and retain community nurses as part of its key asks of the government’s review.
Professor Ranger will also say: ‘This week’s spending review should provide a reminder that we need investment in people through their pay packets, not just buildings.’
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Last week, the union Unite also announced that its NHS nurse members will this month be asked whether they would be prepared to take industrial action over the 2025/26 pay award in England and Wales.
The pay situation is more complex for general practice nursing staff – leading to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) criticising ministers for a lack of ‘clear message’ on what they will receive for 2025/26.
