Ryan FowlerThe Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has responded to a government consultation with a strong call for a comprehensive overhaul of the pay structure for nursing staff.
This initiative, spurred by the RCN’s advocacy, aims to enact the most significant changes to nursing pay since the introduction of the Agenda for Change. The consultation offers a potential path to rectify the longstanding issue of undervaluation that has been a contributing factor to the current workforce crisis.
In its submission to the government, the RCN has leveraged evidence from thousands of its members, illustrating the evolution of the nursing profession over the past two decades. Today’s nursing roles feature increased autonomy, specialisation, and responsibility, yet the remuneration system has not kept pace. A considerable proportion of registered nurses remain in the lowest pay bands, which the RCN contends does not reflect the contemporary scope and scale of nursing work.
The RCN’s employment survey sheds light on several critical issues within the existing pay framework. It found that 70% of nurses contemplating leaving the NHS attribute their decision to a feeling of being undervalued.
Moreover, nearly two-thirds of those surveyed believe that their pay band does not accurately represent their roles and responsibilities. The survey also reveals that many nurses feel they have remained at their current pay band for too long, and a significant number struggle to advance to higher pay bands. Furthermore, a vast majority disagree that their current pay band sufficiently recognises their knowledge, skills, education, and level of responsibility.
Pat Cullen, RCN general secretary and chief executive, succinctly captures the essence of the RCN’s stance on the need for pay reform, stating: “Nursing is not a calling. Or a vocation. Or ‘women’s work’. We are a profession. We are experts. We are leaders. There is an art and a science to what we do.”
