Are nurses disillusioned by proposed 1% pay rise?

The UK had an overwhelming response to the work that nurses did during the pandemic, with heartful displays of gratitude and ‘clap for carers’ to show respect and admiration for our NHS staff. The NHS highly commended the dedication to all staff throughout the grades and stated how much they recognised the supreme effort it had taken to keep services working efficiently and with as much care as could possibly be expected.  

Pay rise for NHS staff

Unison, The Royal College of Nursing, the BMA and many other medical institutions expressed surprise about the proposed 1% pay rise for NHS staff following their efforts during the pandemic. Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock have responded that ‘due to the vast amount of funds ploughed into the NHS in the last year to battle the pandemic, there is nothing left’. Hancock said that it is still a pay rise. 

The council for the RCN is now in discussion regarding setting up an industrial action fund of £35m should a strike situation arise, although many nursing staff are against the negative impact of a strike. Dame Donna Kinnair, Chief Executive of the RCN, said that this could cause tragic circumstances for the NHS if feelings of being undervalued caused a ‘mass exodus’ from the nursing profession. 

Are nurses disillusioned?

Many nurses have expressed that they feel undervalued after the huge effort they have made, including compromises to their own physical and mental health. Constituency MPs and backbenchers have met with nurses to listen to their views.

– A number of nurses feel confused, considering that back in 2019, a pay increase of 2.1% was recommended for implementation in 21/22. 

-The proposed pay rise relates only to England, as pay for nursing staff is devolved throughout the UK, with Scotland and Wales having their own pay board directives. 

-Other NHS staff such as Junior Doctors, GPs and Dentists are not under the same pay rise scheme. 

-It would appear that the £500 payment for those that had been working longer hours and potentially suffering from financial crisis or domestic unrest has been scrapped by England and Scotland only decided at Christmas not to go ahead with the deal. 

All in all, nurses are becoming more disillusioned with their treatment by the government and the pay board’s recommendations (there are 2 independent pay boards who have the necessary experience but which are not directly attached to the NHS). The Head of NHS England, Sir Simon Stevens, has confirmed that the government has consulted independent pay review bodies to make a fair decision based on all the evidence. The decision was not made by the NHS itself.

Potential staff shortages 

If staff shortages do increase, there may be a higher demand for locum staff. The NHS is already strained catching up on the inevitable waiting list that has mounted during the pandemic.  Elective procedures and operations, as well as some scans and cancer treatment, have had to be cancelled in the last year. The BMA reports that for many patients the waiting list is now over 20 weeks and even up to one year. 

Additionally, more nurses may turn to locum work to have more flexibility around pay and working hours. However, our nursing survey showed that the main priority for nurses remains duty of care and this could therefore have the most influence on any decisions made in the nursing industry. Only time will tell the effects of recent events on both locum and salaried nursing roles. 

The government are currently working towards a final pay deal, which is anticipated to be announced around early May, with implementation in July.