Nurses in Northern Ireland lodge dispute over failure to implement pay award
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 RCN.He 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.'
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The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Nurses ‘essential' but we ‘won't miss' GPs: readers react to NHS strikes
Reaction to the threat of new strike action by nurses and GPs has sparked passionate debate among Independent readers, with many expressing sympathy for NHS workers but differing on whether walkouts are the right approach. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned its members feel 'deeply undervalued' and will ballot for industrial action after 91 per cent rejected the government's 3.6 per cent pay offer. GPs have also told minister Stephen Kinnock that the government must act on their demands to 'avoid a future dispute,' escalating tensions across the NHS. These fresh threats follow a five-day walkout by resident doctors over the government's refusal to grant a 29 per cent pay rise. Several commenters said nurses are 'doing the work of doctors' for far less pay, and pointed to years of below-inflation increases, rising living costs, and poor career progression as valid reasons for industrial action. Mental health professionals were singled out as particularly undervalued. Others criticised GPs for high salaries and part-time hours, arguing patient access has worsened even without strikes. Some readers said they 'won't miss' GPs if they walk out, though most agreed that nurses are essential. While a few readers questioned the effectiveness of striking, most called for urgent reform and investment to retain skilled staff and protect patient safety. Here's what you had to say: I won't miss them if they go on strike It's almost impossible to get an appointment with a GP, so I for one won't miss them if they go on strike. I accept I would miss nurses, as they are the medics I see if I ask for a GP appointment. My daughter is a mental health nurse — she has two degrees and is undervalued by the NHS and not valued by others in the medical profession. Pay is dreadful for nurses and even worse for mental health professionals. However, I don't believe striking will solve the problems of pay and conditions. The way to make the point is to vote with their feet and move abroad, into the private sector, or out of the medical profession. Some will say there are too many vacancies already — agreed — but even more will put on permanent pressure, whereas a strike causes only temporary disruption. HOSS Nurses doing the work of doctors Pay the nurses properly, as they now regularly carry out roles once in the purview of doctors. As has been said many times, it's difficult to see your GP face-to-face. Seeing a nurse practitioner is now the norm, and only if necessary are you referred to the GP. So why do GPs expect higher pay when nurses or trained practitioners are doing more? How many GPs work full-time, compared with part-timers? Chuckiethebrave We should all be out behind them I'm 100 per cent behind them. The money that's been taken out of the economy and given to shareholders — and not a word is said. We should all be out behind them. It wasn't long ago that people were banging pots and pans, supporting them — rightly so. The government is hell-bent on driving down wages and pensions. It's about time we stood up to this lot. LesMisrables The NHS is priceless It is very clear that most workers in the NHS feel undervalued and underpaid. For 14 years, a cynical Tory government has undermined their standard of living for ideological reasons — i.e. full privatisation. Our NHS is priceless. The electorate should kick out every government that doesn't fund it properly — because it's our lives at stake. Nomoneyinthebank All workers will strike eventually All workers will strike, eventually, if their salaries are reduced over a fifteen-year period and their standard of living is reduced. It is naïve to think otherwise. Cyclone8 If the NHS fails, get ready to pay I admit that it's difficult to get a doctor's appointment. We're having to wait longer for an ambulance and within A&E, together with there still being quite a hefty backlog on the waiting list — but it is coming down, albeit slowly. Despite the access issues, once you get NHS treatment, it remains exceptional. Since 2010, our doctors and nurses have effectively had a pay freeze, and, with inflation booming in recent years, our energy bills doubling, our groceries virtually doubling, and many nurses resorting to food banks, it's no wonder they're leaving for Australia in droves. I understand the current government were handed a skeletal economy, fractured public services, the highest taxes since WW2 and almost tripled national debt — but like any business, if you don't invest in your workers, they will leave. For those attacking unions, they are simply workers fighting for the equality, fair pay, working conditions and T&Cs that they deserve. Our NHS is a healthcare system to be proud of. It deserves proper investment — and that includes its workers. For the Brits who are against investing in our NHS workers — I hope you're rich enough to afford private healthcare. If the NHS fails, you'll need to start saving now for the hundreds of pounds it'll cost you each month in insurance. Amy Nothing for GPs I fully understand the nurses — they deserve better. My GP has notified me that they can't tell me the results of a scan for four weeks. That is just a telephone call. They deserve nothing, as far as I'm concerned. They can't handle what they have now, let alone more. Martyn Is £150,000 not enough? My local health centre has four full-time GPs. They have an average salary of over £150,000. Is that not enough? And it is still almost impossible to get an appointment. PeterLoud1 Shame on you NHS workers Shame on you NHS workers. Just as Starmer and Streeting were starting to sort out the NHS — I can confirm this, as my doctors' surgery appointments have got much, much better — and I've just had two cataract operations with a minimum wait of one week for the first eye and four weeks for the second. You got a good increase last year, and now you're starting to destroy the NHS. Jol Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day's top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click 'log in' or 'register' in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Nurse backing calls for strikes promotes Corbyn's new party
A socialist nurse who supports Jeremy Corbyn's new hard-Left party is backing the campaign for NHS strikes, The Telegraph can reveal. Harry Eccles, an activist for the campaign group NHS Workers Say No, has said he felt hope at the rise of 'strong striking workers' as the health service faces disruption. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the latest to threaten strike action after rejecting the Government's 3.6 per cent pay rise for 2025-26. Mr Eccles has called for Mr Corbyn's new party to work with the Greens and 'change things together''. Posting on X, he shared a graphic from the new Your Party, set up by Mr Corbyn, which referred to its 600,000 sign-ups as 'impressive'. Just days ago he shared a photograph of himself with Mr Corbyn, wearing a red shirt, and saying 'Jeremy Corbyn didn't run Labour into the ground by pursuing Right-wing policies – that was Starmer'. On the same day, he wished followers a 'Happy Socialist Sunday' and added he could feel hope rising with 'the emergence of a strong Zack led Greens, a mighty Sultana/Corbyn party, and the strong striking workers'. 'Nine out of 10 nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland reject pay award' — Harry Eccles (@Heccles94) July 31, 2025 On Thursday, he promoted news that nine out of 10 nurses had rejected the latest pay offer, warning that they would strike if their salary demands were not met. NHS Workers Say No took to X on Thursday afternoon, responding to a message from Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, referencing strike action, and saying 'Nurses next' alongside an emoji of a raised fist. The RCN said 91 per cent of 170,000 members that voted on this year's pay award had rejected it. Prof Nicola Ranger, who earns more than £200,000 per year to lead the nurses' union, said her colleagues felt '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'. She continued: 'Record numbers have delivered this verdict on a broken system that holds back nursing pay and careers and hampers the NHS,' she said. '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. '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.' Nurses next ✊ — NHS Workers Say NO! (@NurseSayNO) July 31, 2025 Nurses in Wales and Northern Ireland also voted to reject the pay award. The profession staged its first-ever walkouts over pay in 2022 and 2023, but strike action came to a halt after it was unable to renew its mandate to keep striking when turnout fell below the legal threshold of 50 per cent. Earlier on Thursday, the Telegraph revealed GPs were also considering winter strikes over the NHS plan, which they believe 'threatens the survival' of the current general practice model. Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, ended a five-day walkout on Wednesday morning and have a mandate to strike until the new year. Consultants are currently holding an 'indicative ballot' to assess their appetite to strike. Unions representing other healthcare workers from paramedics to cleaners have also rejected pay awards from the Government.
ITV News
2 days ago
- 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.'
