We took nurse pay concerns to MPs, but what do we do next?

‘What are you going to do next?’ This was a question I was asked by MPs after we presented the findings of a recent Nursing in Practice report focused on general practice nurse (GPN) pay, terms and conditions in Parliament this week. ‘So, you’ve written your report, what are you going to do with it?’ I was asked.

Truthfully, I answered that I was here in Parliament sharing our shocking findings – including that practice nurse pay is lagging thousands behind those in the NHS and that a significant chunk of the workforce is looking to quit because of poor pay – and that I needed the support of MPs (in the room and beyond) to push these issues to the highest levels in government.

I initially felt taken aback that I was being asked of my next move on the matter. I wondered what message it sent if MPs were asking the nursing press to do more on this, when the very reason I was there was to ask for their help.

But, on reflection, those who came were also concerned about our findings. Some MPs stood and talked with the GPNs in the room for a while. Some made notes and asked for their key hopes for change. So, was it actually that they wanted to see action? Were they asking me what was next because they wanted to see the report go further and be acted on? Maybe that’s me being optimistic, but either way, it has got me thinking about our next steps.

Related Article: ‘Practices can’t commit to a pay rise for nurses that they can’t afford’

It was suggested that I sent our findings directly to the government and to the Department of Health and Social Care. And while I did invite both the former and new health secretary to attend our event (but to no avail), Nursing in Practice is now looking into this further.  We will also send it to NHS England (before it’s scrapped) and to its nursing directorate, to ensure they have the latest data on this.

I want to stress that the fight is not over and that we will keep pushing and advocating for better treatment and recognition of GPNs. I keep saying that the poor pay, terms and conditions faced by GPNs can no longer being ignored, and I mean it.

There is still more work to be done to get these issues in front of the right people, but I feel this week we have at least made a start.

Our parliamentary event was also attended by practice manager and GP representatives. In listening to their concerns – largely around core general practice funding – they told us to avoid viewing workforce challenges through the lens of a single profession, and that the future of GP practices was dependent on the collective contribution of all staff. And they are right in many ways.

We need to bring the wider professions together on this. And Nursing in Practice is in a unique position to do so. We have our sister titles Management in Practice, Pulse and The Pharmacist – and on my to do list is to arrange a meeting with the editors to see how we can progress this further.

I don’t want this to be a case of passing the buck, but I’m also keen to hear ideas from our readers on this. What do you want Nursing in Practice to do on this next? Whether it be a roundtable, an attempt at getting a question in parliament, another event, an interview with the health secretary – please do get in touch!

Related Article: ‘Person-centred care must never mean placing GPNs in unsafe situations’

Perhaps unsurprisingly, among the MPs who came to our event this week, several had a healthcare background, including two former nurses.

Interim chair of the Health and Social Care Committee and Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington, Paulette Hamilton, said our report findings were ‘shocking’. She quite rightly highlighted that as the government looks to shift away from hospitals and towards community and primary care then more needs to be done for value the nurses working in those settings.

Ms Hamilton said now was the time for the government to work with the RCN and others to ‘ensure that practice nurses are treated like equal partners and not like a cousin once removed’.

Labour MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey and a former nurse, Kevin McKenna, also attended the event, warning that the issue of GPN pay ‘has been a longstanding bit of inequity in the health system’ and one that ‘needs to be resolved’.

The event and report were supported by Liberal Democrat MP for West Dorset, Edward Morello, who said he wanted to ensure ‘the vital role’ of GPNs was understood more widely, as well as the ‘unfairness that’s within the pay system’. He pledged to ‘continue to bang the drum for GP nurses, because it is vital and there needs to be more fairness in the system’.

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

At Nursing in Practice, we pledge to do the same and continue to push these issues as high as we can.

Please get in touch at [email protected] if you are a practice nurse wanting to share any thoughts on this!