The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is calling on the Health Secretary to step up and ensure all nursing staff receive the latest pay award.
RCN members working on contracts aligned to Agenda for Change, such as those delivering NHS care through social enterprises and community interest companies, have been told many will not receive the one-off payment and/or permanent uplift for 2023/24 as it has not been funded. Those working in NHS organisations as bank staff, including NHS Professionals have also been left out.
The RCN is calling for transparency from the government about how the offer has been funded and to ensure adequate funding is in place to ensure those providing NHS services receive the same pay as their NHS counterparts. It also warned of the potentially damaging effect of bank workers opting for agency work instead, further destabilising the workforce by forcing already skyrocketing agency costs up even further.
The Royal College of Nursing has written to the Health Secretary calling on him to urgently resolve the issue.
In the letter, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen, says:
“Although the RCN has not been informed why, I understand this is due to funding. Our members are petitioning the government directly on this point and we will be working with the independent health provider network and the NHS Confederation and others to resolve this situation as was the case in 2018.
“If this situation is not resolved, it will create a two-tier system for staff engaged on Agenda for Change terms and conditions and will do nothing to quell industrial unrest regarding pay.
“It will also serve to increase reliance on agencies as encouraging workers to use bank systems, some of which operate well to quell agency costs, will only reduce further.”
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