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3mo ago

UK Nurses Warn of Possible Summer Strikes Over Pay Dispute

RCN chief Nicola Ranger criticizes government's pay cap and delays, demanding a 25% pay rise to address real-terms wage erosion and nursing shortages.

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Wes Streeting has been warned that nurses may strike this summer unless issues over pay can be resolved (Photo: Jordan Pettitt/PA)
NHS nurses went on strike over pay on for eight days between December 2022 and May 2023
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Overview

  • The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is calling for a 25% pay rise to restore wages eroded by inflation since 2010, rejecting the government's proposed 2.8% cap.
  • RCN leader Nicola Ranger warns of potential summer strikes if the government fails to offer a significant pay increase, with nurses being surveyed on their willingness to strike.
  • The NHS Pay Review Body recommended a 3% pay rise for nurses, slightly above the government's current cap, but no final decision has been announced.
  • Unsafe staffing levels, including reports of one nurse caring for 40 patients, and over 34,000 nursing vacancies are exacerbating the crisis in the UK healthcare system.
  • The RCN highlights a recruitment and retention 'ticking time bomb,' with 175,000 nurses expected to retire within the next decade and a sharp decline in nursing course applications.