A defining moment for nursing and the NHS

This week the NHS marked its 75th anniversary – a chance for us to celebrate its successes and appreciate the role it plays in all our lives, but also a vital opportunity to make the case for investing in its future. 

As a registered nurse with over 30 years of experience, I have had the privilege of training and working in both NHS and independent sectors in various roles. It is now an honour for me to utilise my knowledge and experience to educate the upcoming generation of nursing professionals.

The anniversary comes shortly after the UK government released its workforce plan for the NHS in England. A plan full of ambition but lacking in detail failing to tackle the very real issue of retaining existing nursing staff in the profession.

To ensure the long-term survival of our nation's most valuable asset for another 75 years, it's crucial for the government to acknowledge that recruitment alone won't solve the current workforce crisis in nursing. Taking significant measures to retain nursing staff, such as addressing nursing pay, is necessary. As the largest part of the NHS workforce, nursing staff play a crucial role in urging the government to provide more than just ambitious targets and empty promises. 

I know that the result of England’s most recent strike ballot may not have been what many of you were hoping for. But I hope you know the campaign for fair pay in all sectors is far from over. I have been so proud of the action you have all taken in recent months and it has been my utter pleasure to have been your President during this historic time. From seeing thousands of you on the picket lines, to receiving improved offers in both Wales and Scotland, together, you have put nursing pay on the agenda and demonstrated that you are willing to take action to defend our profession, our patients, and the NHS.

Before we enter the next phase of the campaign, we want to take a moment to pause, reflect and celebrate. In the coming weeks we will be holding ‘reflection and dialogue debrief’ sessions. These are an opportunity to discuss collectively our successes and achievements and establish the lessons learned to enable the campaign to progress. I hope to see as many of you there as possible. 
75 years of the NHS also means 75 years since people came from the Caribbean on the HMT Empire Windrush to help build the newly formed health service. Despite facing overt racism and discrimination, these first NHS workers became a foundational part of our health service. Today the NHS relies on the vital contribution of migrant workers and as we mark the 75th anniversary of the Windrush generation I want to renew my commitment to striving for equality, inclusion and belonging for all nursing staff.

One step towards achieving this vision is to vote ‘yes’ to the three resolutions which will be debated at next week’s Annual General Meeting. These motions, covering terms of office for RCN Council members, membership fees and rules for EGMs form part of a larger project to transform the governance, culture and finance of our College. They lay the foundations for securing our future stability and enabling growth and positive change for the RCN, our members and our profession. Members wishing to attend in person in Manchester can register on the day, or to attend online, simply find the email invitation from Civica.

Both the nursing profession and NHS have changed so much since I first became a registered nurse in 1991. It gives me immense pleasure to have seen first-hand the evolution of the NHS to become an organisation that is now more diverse than ever. There is such joy in the fabulous photos of members attending their local LGBTQ+ Pride events, showing their solidarity and commitment to making their workplaces truly welcoming and inclusive.

It has also been a real pleasure to see some of our members receiving the recognition that they so richly deserve in the RCN Wales Nurse of the Year awards ceremony. To see so many brilliant and deserving winners and nominees gives me such pride in our profession and makes me all the more determined to utilise the opportunities presented by the NHS 75 celebrations and upcoming AGM to secure a bright and rewarding future for nursing.