Nurses strike threat rises as data shows they're now £8,000 worse off a year

Struggling nurses have had a real-terms pay cut of £8,000 a year, damning analysis published today reveals amid fresh strike fears.

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) figures show "collapsing" wages are deepening a workforce crisis, as ministers face calls to come back with a better pay deal. It comes as tens of thousands of nurses are consulted on this year's 3.6% pay offer, with NHS staff "tired of playing constant financial catch-up".

If salary increases had kept up with inflation since 2010, the RCN found, the starting salary for a registered nurse would be nearly £40,000 - with the most junior staff having taken a 21% hit. NHS resident doctors have already announced they will be taking strike action - and the Government was told negotiating with nurses is the "only sensible choice",

The RCN has previously said it is "grotesque" that the offer to nurses is lower than other NHS and public sector workers, and refused to rule out strike action this year. Patricia Marquis, RCN executive director for England, said: "Nursing staff are tired of playing constant financial catch-up, often struggling to pay rent or get on the housing ladder.

"Nursing is an incredible profession, but we are weighted to the bottom of the NHS pay scales and received one of the lowest awards this year, a situation which is deepening the workforce crisis and impacting patient care.

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"Attracting and keeping talented people should be the government's priority, but that requires them to do better on nursing pay. Our members are voting in their tens of thousands and making their voices heard on this pay award.

"Ministers must realise that the only sensible choice left to them is to negotiate directly with the largest health care workforce. It is time to both deliver better pay and pay modernisation for nursing staff."

The RCN says that based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures changes in the costs of essentials, some nurses will be less than £5 better off a month. Ms Marquis said: "This award is derisory. It does nothing to reverse the trend of collapsing wages, especially for nurses at the start of their careers, and even by the government’s own calculations barely covers the cost of a sandwich and a drink."

It comes amid the growing likelihood of walkouts this year. At the RCN's annual conference in May, general secretary Prof Nicola Ranger told 3,000 delegates: "I’m not here today to tell you we’re going on strike.

“And I’m not here today to tell you we’re not going on strike this year either. That’s not my call. You will decide how you feel. And we’ll plan together the best way to get what nursing needs.

"But to ministers I will say this: do not sail close to the wind.” The Government is funding a 4% pay rise for consultants, specialty doctors, specialists and GPs - with dentists also receiving a contract uplift to increase their pay.

And resident doctors will see their salaries jump by an average of 5.4%. But nurses, health visitors, midwives, ambulance staff, porters and cleaners will have to make do with a smaller rise of 3.6%.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said at the time: "These are thoroughly deserved pay rises for all our hard-working nurses, doctors and other NHS staff."

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