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Nursing Staff in England Overwhelmingly Reject 3.6% Pay Offer

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Nursing staff in England have overwhelmingly rejected a 3.6% pay offer from the government, with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) describing the proposed increase as "grotesque". This decision comes as the RCN balloted its members on the prospective pay rise accepted by the government in May. The union has argued that the award would be "entirely swallowed up by inflation" and that nurses' pay is £8,000 lower than if wages had kept pace with inflation since 2010. The GMB union, which represents about 50,000 health workers, including 20,000 in the ambulance service, has also written to the Health Secretary Wes Streeting calling for an urgent meeting to discuss pay and other issues.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has described the proposed 3.6% pay offer as "grotesque" and believes it would be "entirely swallowed up by inflation".
  • Nurses' pay has been "severely eroded" over the past years, with junior staff affected the most.
  • RCN analysis shows that nurses' pay is £8,000 lower than it would have been if wages had kept pace with inflation since 2010.
  • The RCN executive director for England, Patricia Marquis, has stated that nursing staff are "tired of playing constant financial catch-up, often struggling to pay rent or get on the housing ladder".
  • The GMB union has written to the Health Secretary Wes Streeting calling for an urgent meeting to discuss pay and other issues affecting its 50,000 health worker members.
  • A five-day strike by resident doctors over pay began on the same day as the announcement.

Statistics:

  • 67% of RCN members voted against the 3.6% pay offer for 2025/26 in England.
  • £8,000: the amount by which nurses' pay is lower than it would have been if wages had kept pace with inflation since 2010.
  • 50,000: the number of health workers represented by the GMB union.
  • 20,000: the number of ambulance service workers represented by the GMB union.
  • 5: the number of days for a strike by resident doctors over pay.

Sources:

  • BBC
  • GMB
  • Royal College of Nursing (RCN)

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