The joint letter from the three unions warns that a million NHS staff in England – including nursing staff – will not receive the pay rise for next year on time in April 2025 if the government waits for the PRB to report. According to the unions, failure to finalise new pay rates by 1 April 2025 will also mean workers on the lowest NHS pay bands will slip below the announced increase in the national living wage.
‘Health workers are the beating heart of the NHS… and are key to improving patient care and getting health and community services back on their feet,’ the letter states.
‘Sticking with the out-of-date pay review body process risks repeating the mistakes of the past. That doesn’t fit with your wider vision for a 21st-century NHS that has a stable and motivated workforce at its core. The pay review body process is outdated and belongs to a bygone age. It takes forever, is bureaucratic and is inefficient too. Scrapping this would save 10s of 1,000s of pounds and spare the NHS, the government and other health organisations the many hours it currently takes to compile, submit and present evidence.’
When this year’s NHS pay rise was announced in the summer, the health secretary also agreed to a funded mandate to fix issues within the Agenda for Change pay structure. Unions and employers are still waiting for the government to start talks to reform the 20-year-old system, which desperately needs updating. The joint letter adds that an NHS pay rise could be discussed at the same time.
‘This would be the most compelling way to help get the NHS back on track, hold on to the experienced staff it needs to do this and attract the recruits key to filling the huge gaps in the workforce,’ the letter said.
‘Our members need action and clarity on their future now so we can rebuild the nursing profession and the NHS, and modernise the way care is delivered,’ said RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger.
‘That is why we need to get round the table for meaningful discussions. We have taken this approach in the interests of nursing staff, the patients and communities we serve, and the NHS itself.’