Top tips for nurses in general practice on how to negotiate a pay rise

Jeni Watts, Royal College of Nursing (RCN), senior national officer highlights the aims of the college when it comes to general practice nurse (GPN) pay, and outlines some top tips for those among the workforce on how to negotiate with their employer. This article comes as part of our General practice nurse pay: A salary survey of the profession 2026 report.

Nursing staff working in general practice often negotiate their pay, terms, and conditions before they begin or during employment.

This is because although general practice is publicly funded and delivers NHS services staff are usually employed by a practice that is an independent employer – not the NHS itself.

This means for nursing staff working in this sector there is no consistency in what to expect and there can be wide variation in terms.

The RCN believe that nursing staff working in general practice should be offered at least the equivalent of NHS Agenda for Change and funding should be ring fenced for an annual pay rise.

We also think that wherever decisions are made the nursing voice needs to be strong. We are working to influence for this to happen by talking to politician’s, leaders, and other stakeholders.

Whilst we work towards this, we also want to support the reality for general nursing staff which is that they negotiate directly with their employers.

The thought of negotiation may feel uncomfortable, particularly if you work in a small practice, however, if done in the right way it can be a positive experience for all involved.

Remember, negotiation skills are used informally in personal lives, often without realising it. For example, when buying or renting a home or even just who does the domestic tasks around the house.

However, when it comes to pay, terms, and conditions, it may need to be more formal so below are a few tips:

Be prepared!

Negotiations are more likely to work well if there is a group of staff, think about talking to colleagues to see if you could work together.

Find evidence of the value you bring to patient care, the skills you bring to the local community, and the overall contribution you make.

Use the RCN objectives, resources and information.

Have a strategy

Identify what you want from the negotiation, what are your priorities.

Think about who you need to approach for the negotiations.

Approach with confidence

The negotiation itself is a conversation, it does not need to be adversarial, it can be a positive interaction that achieves a great deal.

Remember how important you are to good patient care, how the success of healthcare systems are reliant on you and your colleagues.

Confirm what you have agreed

Check everyone’s understanding at the end of the conversation and agreed who will confirm the outcome in writing.

Finally!

In my career I have worked in nursing and as a union official, in my experience nursing staff have excellent negotiating skills so approach conversations with professionalism, knowing your value and with confidence.

Jeni Watts, is a senior national officer at the Royal College of Nursing