Latest news with #AgendaforChange
South Wales Argus
01-08-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Nursing staff warn Welsh government their pay system is broken
More than 90 per cent of Royal College of Nursing members in Wales have said the pay award doesn't go far enough in a consultation which saw the highest turnout in the college's history in Wales. The result of the consultation shows growing frustration among staff over pay, working conditions, and the ongoing pressures facing the NHS. The RCN is demanding an overhaul of the NHS' outdated Agenda for Change pay structure, which it claims has failed members for more than 20 years. Helen Whyley, executive director of RCN Wales, said: 'With the highest turnout ever 3.6 per cent is not enough for nursing staff – they deserve to be listened to. "The commitments made in 2023 of pay restoration, and reviewing career progression have become government rhetoric and made no impact on our members reality. 'Pay is not just a number – it reflects a package of terms and working conditions that shape how acknowledged, supported and motivated staff feel in their roles. 'In under a year, all our members will go to the polls. They feel desperately undervalued by the current government. That will stay the case unless they unveil major reforms in the remaining months and not just election promises.' The RCN is now considering what next steps it should take in consultation with its members. These may include a ballot for industrial action.
ITV News
31-07-2025
- Health
- ITV News
Nurses in Northern Ireland lodge dispute over failure to implement pay award
The Royal College of Nursing has lodged a formal dispute over the failure to implement a pay award for nursing staff in Northern dispute has been lodged with the Northern Ireland Executive, Department of Health and health and social care a ballot, the RCN across the UK rejected a pay offer of 3.6%.Nurses in Northern Ireland have yet to receive the pay rise. An RCN statement said: 'We have made it clear that our members are not prepared to tolerate a repetition of their experiences in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, whereby a pay award for staff working in the HSC on Agenda for Change terms and conditions was not confirmed for several months after it had been awarded elsewhere across the UK, and the uplift was not paid until the very end of the financial year.'Despite the recent welcome intervention of the Health Minister (Mike Nesbitt) in issuing his ministerial direction, it appears that we are, once again, in the same position.'Rita Devlin, RCN Northern Ireland executive director said: 'Nursing and other healthcare staff in Northern Ireland are once again on the brink of stepping out of pay parity with colleagues across the UK.'We have worked tirelessly to try and ensure that this does not happen again but there has been a failure in some political quarters to listen.'Our members do not understand why, yet again, they are being treated by their own Executive as second-class citizens and why, every year, the need to formulate a modest pay offer appears to catch the Executive unprepared.'The issue of pay should be accounted for in every year's budget and a failure to do this is a failure of government.'Ms Devlin added: 'Without staff there is simply no health service, and we are at an absolute loss to explain this attitude towards nursing staff who are the largest professional group in the health service.'As our recent pay consultation has shown, nursing staff in Northern Ireland and across the UK, don't believe a 3.6% pay rise is enough, but to not even get that is an insult.'In a statement issued through the Ulster Unionist Party, Nr Nesbitt said he shared the frustration of the added: 'In May, I announced that I was triggering the ministerial direction process to achieve delivery of these pay increases as soon as possible.'That reflected my commitment to maintaining pay parity with England.'In line with the ministerial direction process, my decision was referred to the wider Executive.'Unfortunately, that's where it still sits.'Our health workers deserve so much better.''I note that the RCN is today saying that the 'first step must be for the Northern Ireland Executive to deliver the long-overdue pay award for this year'.'I couldn't agree more.'
Daily Mirror
31-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
BREAKING: Nurses reject NHS pay deal - and could join resident doctors on picket line
Nurses have voted to reject their NHS pay deal in a move that could lead to more strike action. The Royal College of Nursing confirmed 91% of its members who voted rejected the 3.6% pay rise they have been granted for 2025/26. Nurses are furious that for the second year running they have been given less than resident doctors, who have been awarded 5.4% but still went on strike recently. President Professor Nicola Ranger previously labelled it 'grotesque' that nurses were again being awarded less than doctors. Professor Ranger said: 'My profession feels deeply undervalued and that is why record numbers are telling the government to wake up, sense the urgency here and do what's right by them and by patients. "Record numbers have delivered this verdict on a broken system that holds back nursing pay and careers and hampers the NHS.' The vote to reject the pay offer included nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on a 56% turnout. The legal minimum in any follow-up vote over whether to strike is 50%. The RCN said 170,000 nurses voted in its ballot in England, its highest ever, and is demanding ministers use the summer to reach a deal. Without an improved deal it will escalate to a dispute and an industrial action ballot which could see nurses strike in Autumn. It comes shortly after a five-day strike by resident doctors which is expected to have caused thousands of cancelled appointments. Details on the number of appointments, procedures and operations postponed are expected to be published later today(THUR). NHS leaders fear that Mr Streeting could face a full-scale NHS rebellion after other health unions also rejected their pay deals. The Unite union, which has members in almost all NHS professions, and GMB, which represents staff including ambulance workers, have both rejected the 3.6% pay deal in recent weeks. Most NHS staff on the main Agenda for Change contract - which excludes doctors and dentists - have been awarded a 3.6% increase for 2025/26. This uplift was recommended by the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB) based on evidence submitted by the government, employers and unions. However unions have questioned the impartiality of the pay review body. The current annual inflation rate for the Retail Price Index (RPI) in the UK is 4.4%. The latest UK Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate - which excludes mortgage costs - is 3.6%. The RCN is understood to be open to talks on wider pay structures and quicker career progression, not just headline pay. The union says the pay banding in the Agenda for Change system unfairly traps nurses in lower bands, in some cases for their whole careers. Prof Ranger added: 'As a safety-critical profession, keeping hold of experienced nursing staff is fundamentally a safety issue and key to the government's own vision for the NHS. Long-overdue reforms to nursing career progression and the NHS pay structure aren't just about fairness and equity but are critical for patient safety. 'We deliver the vast majority of care in every service and deserve to be valued for all our skill, knowledge and experience. To avoid formal escalation, the government must be true to its word and negotiate on reforms of the outdated pay structure which traps nursing staff at the same band their entire career.' Mr Streeting is expected to restart talks with the British Medical Association early next week to avert further strikes by resident doctors. Their unanimous vote to strike - on a 55% turnout - means the BMA's resident doctors committee has a legal mandate to organise strikes until January 2025. The Government is adamant it cannot increase headline pay but could find other solutions such as reduced doctor training costs and improved working conditions. Doctors are demanding a commitment to return to 2008 levels of pay, saying they will accept this over a number of years. The BMA argues that by the RPI Measure of inflation resident doctors' real terms salaries are down a fifth since then. Kemi Badenoch has pledged to outlaw strikes by doctors, bringing them into line with the police and army, if she becomes prime minister.
Daily Record
24-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Glasgow nurses could launch crippling strike action over pay dispute
EXCLUSIVE: Trade unions representing district nurses are poised to ballot their members. Scots nurses could go on strike over a pay dispute with the country's largest health board. Trade unions are gearing up to ballot their 'demoralised' members over a row with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Barbara Sweeney of the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland, said: 'We are considering all the options available including the possibility of asking our members if they would be willing to take industrial action.' An industry source said they ease pressure on hospitals by ensuring patients live independently at home. District nurses are currently on Band 6 of the Agenda for Change pay scale, but they believe this does not match their skill, expertise and workload. Staff in the RCN, UNISON and GMB trade unions are now ready to move to a vote on industrial action over a standoff with the board. A walk out could pile pressure on services for vulnerable older people. Sweeney said: ' NHSGGC and the six health and social care partnerships have let down their district nursing teams, and in doing so are letting down patients. 'They have failed to follow nationally agreed job evaluation processes and have left this vital group of staff feeling ignored, undervalued and demoralised. 'They have put significant obstacles in the way and left us no option but to escalate. The RCN and other trade unions are now formally in dispute with the health board. 'Our members working in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 's district nursing teams are committed to their patients and colleagues. For them, industrial action would absolutely be a last resort. We are hoping the health board will see sense and remove the blockages to job evaluation for this essential group of staff.' Matt McLaughlin, head of health at UNISON, said: "UNISON's District Nurse members have had enough of NHS Glasgow's refusal to evaluate their jobs fairly and within the rules of the accredited job evaluation scheme for this job which was initially accepted as having changed in 2022. 'Despite numerous attempts to reach a fair outcome the health board continues to behave in an unacceptable manner - refusing to evaluate their jobs. 'UNISON is now conducting a consultative ballot for industrial action. NHS Glasgow and Clyde should be clear - our next step is a formal strike ballot." He also called on SNP Health Secretary Neil Gray to intervene: "The Cabinet Secretary needs to speak up on this issue and get his managers told to apply the job evaluation scheme or the following industrial action will be on his shoulders!" Karen Leonard, GMB organiser, said: 'Our members fully engaged with the process of job evaluation in good faith but that faith has not been justified. 'Their skills, qualifications and responsibilities have increased over the last decade to meet the complex needs of patients now living in our communities and only want their changing role to be properly recognised and fairly rewarded. 'This process has dragged on for year after year when consensus on the way forward has been reached on a number of occasions only for the goalposts to be moved. After so many false starts and needless delays, the nurses' patience has been stretched to breaking point. 'They only want to nurse but are being driven towards industrial action by a needlessly protracted process that has left them demoralised but determined to resolve this issue.' A spokesperson for NHSGGC said: 'We acknowledge the exceptional care that our district nursing teams provide every day. They are a vital part of our health service and play a crucial role in supporting patient care and flow throughout the healthcare system in Greater Glasgow and Clyde. We deeply value their dedication and the difference they make in our communities. 'We also appreciate and understand the frustration that has arisen from the length of time it has taken to progress the job evaluation process. This has been a complex matter, and we recognise the impact that the process to date has had on staff morale. 'To help bring this to a conclusion as quickly and effectively as possible, we recently undertook a rapid review of the process to date and sought expert advice to ensure we are taking the right steps forward. We are committed to working closely with our staff-side colleagues to move this forward and to keep our nursing teams informed throughout. 'We thank our district nurses for their continued professionalism and patience. We remain focused on reaching a conclusion without further delay.'
The Herald Scotland
07-07-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
NHS Scotland: Nearly £2 billion spent on temp nurses and midwives
Despite a decrease in spending compared to the previous year, the annual cost of agency and bank nurses in 2024-25 was still more than double the cost in 2018-19 and close to triple the cost in 2014-15. On March 31, 2021, the total spend sat at £235,881,478.69. As of 31 March this year, it sat at £410,139,391.91. In the period between March 2021 and now, the highest spending year was 2024 where the bill was £489, 997, 555.95. Scottish Labour has warned about the impact of SNP not recruiting more permanent staff whilst vacancies for nurses and midwives remain at over 2,600. READ MORE: Commenting on the figures, Scottish Labour Health Spokesperson Jackie Baillie MSP said: 'The SNP has spent almost two decades mismanaging our health service, opting for short-term fixes, rather than coming up with a solution to address long-term challenges. 'The use of temporary staff is an expensive sticking plaster and cannot be a substitute for a proper plan aimed at tackling the significant problems facing the NHS. 'This is an unsustainable way of managing our health service and ministers must listen to calls for a workforce plan to meet recruitment needs.' The Scottish Government has said the figures show yearly progress is being made and the use of temporary staff will always been needed in an organisation as "large and complex" as the NHS. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'NHS Scotland's overall workforce, including nursing and midwifery staffing, has increased over the last year, whilst the latest workforce statistics show a 62% reduction in nurse agency usage and spend across 2024/25, decreasing for the second year in a row. 'These figures show the progress being made to reduce NHS Scotland's reliance on agency workers and focus resources on frontline services, which has enabled boards to reinvest upwards of £94 million in the delivery of those services most valued by the Scottish public. 'The use of temporary staff in an organisation as large and complex as NHS Scotland will always be required to ensure vital service provision during times of unplanned absence, sickness or increased activity.' The news comes as agency staff are being paid as high as 400% of the standard rate in certain parts of Scotland. Agency nursing and medical staff are often employed by private companies, and given temporary NHS roles to fill staffing gaps. They differ from 'bank' staff, included the Scottish Labour statistics, which are pools of temporary NHS staff hired by the NHS at the Agenda for Change pay scale. Figures show NHS Dumfries and Galloway reported some of the highest costs, paying some agency nurses as much as 462% of the standard rate for nursing cover. The health board has said that agency use is 'always a last resort', with cover offered first to existing staff. However, they have highlighted that long term vacancies and sickness means this is not always possible. The Scottish government has said, despite agency nurses only making up a small fraction of total NHS staff costs, it is working to reduce its reliance on agencies.
