RCN ‘stepping up’ pay campaign for general practice nurses

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has promised to step up its campaign to ensure general practice nurses (GPNs) get the pay rise they deserve and has offered its support to those who are still waiting for confirmation on the recent uplift.

Salaried GPNs who have not yet heard from their employer on a 6% pay rise can use a newly created letter template, created by the RCN, to seek clarification and fight for the uplift.

Last week, the Department of Health and Social Care announced a 6% pay uplift for salaried GPs in England for 2023/24, which should also be passed on to all salaried practice staff, including nursing staff employed by GP surgeries providing NHS services.

As reported by Nursing in Practice, GPNs have been left concerned and in some cases ‘demoralised’ because the situation is dependent on their employer’s decision on whether or not to pass on the benefits of the uplift.

In a statement today, the RCN said it was ‘clear that salaried GP nursing staff should receive a pay rise of 6% in line with the full value of this pay uplift, and it should be implemented as soon as possible and backdated to April 2023’.

RCN England director Patricia Marquis said: ‘This pay award is recognition of your daily commitment to patients and the NHS.

‘We’re determined to ensure you receive your pay award promptly and in full and will support you to secure this if your employer does not guarantee it.’

She added: ‘The fight for fair pay for nursing across all NHS and non-NHS settings continues.

‘We have set our ambitions high and will be stepping up our campaign for the pay you deserve.’

The move from the RCN comes just months after Nursing in Practice pressed the college on what it was doing to support pay concerns of GPNs amid concerns they were being left behind during the NHS pay dispute.

Today, the RCN highlighted six ways it was currently representing GPNs: