A survey by the Royal College of Nursing found that 52% of nursing staff in the East of England said they were likely to leave a career in nursing altogether in the next five years – with 72% of these under the age of 55.
The poll of more than 900 RCN members in the region also found that 71% were financially worse off than they were 12 months ago. The results follow an independent analysis into nurse pay in England’s NHS, conducted by London Economics, which found that real-terms cuts to NHS wages since 2010/11 have been so severe that hundreds of thousands of nurses are effectively working five days a month for free.
Key findings from the RCN’s cost of living survey* among members in the Eastern region include:
- 81% of respondents said that their current monthly household spending is higher than it was 12 months previously.
- Almost a third (31%) of respondents said that their financial concerns have a considerable or very considerable impact on their physical health.
- 39% say financial pressures are having a considerable impact on their mental health.
- 59% said they have used credit or savings for essential living costs within the last 12 months.
- Two thirds (66%) report rationing gas and electricity.Only 6% of respondents said that within the last 12 months they have been able to manage their finances without difficulty.
- 1 in 4 (25%) of respondents said that they are struggling with living costs and increasingly worried about their financial situation.
Last year, NHS nursing staff received an average pay uplift of 5%, the lowest pay award across the entire public sector. The new analysis from London Economics and the findings from RCN’s major cost of living survey demonstrate how urgent it is for the government to deliver a fair pay award when it is due on 1 April this year.
In its submission to the NHS Pay Review Body, the RCN demanded a “substantial and above inflation” pay rise along with an additional salary top-up worth “several thousand pounds” going to every member of nursing staff.
The RCN says this would help stem the exodus of nursing staff from the NHS and combat chronic workforce shortages.
*Cost of living survey methodology: The RCN's Cost of Living survey (online) was opened for two weeks (between 8 January and 21 January 2024). There were just under 11,000 respondents from England (10,937), the majority (85%) of whom were registered nurses/health visitors. In the Eastern region (Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex) there were 942 responses – 81% registered nurses/health visitors, 11% health care support workers, 4% students/apprentices and 5% nursing associates/TNAs. 76% had their main job within the NHS. Topics in the survey covered how much respondents earnt and spent on a range costs such as housing, utilities to food and transportation. It centrally looked at how the cost of living crisis has affected respondents’ financial situations, spending behaviours and their lives.
