The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has expressed "extreme disappointment" that the UK government offered new pay to NHS consultants, while nursing pay deal
remain disputed.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen has written to new Health Secretary Victoria Atkins demanding fresh negotiations regarding this year's pay
deal, and requested an urgent meeting to discuss their dispute.
Pat warned that more than 100,000 RCN members in England voted for continued strike action in June, as they feel undervalued.
"The government has now shown it has the political will to negotiate on pay reform for some of the highest earners in the NHS in contrast to our members who
received the lowest pay rise in the public sector," she wrote in the letter.
NHS nursing staff in England was awarded a five per cent pay rise 2023/24, but the union argued that it is not enough to keep up with inflation.
Most people in Great Britain believe that new junior doctors, nurses and health care assistants are underpaid, senior doctors and matrons are paid about right,
and NHS CEOs are paid too much, according to a new study.
About half the people surveyed indicated that newly qualified junior doctors are paid too little, with this sentiment increasing to three in five (60 per cent) among
Labour voters.
The research conducted by the Policy Institute at King's College London, King's Business School, and Ipsos also showed that more people believe NHS staff overall were
badly paid than well paid.
Dr Nick Krachler, senior lecturer in Human Resource Management at King's Business School, said: "Our survey shows considerable alignment between public perception
of NHS pay levels and the claims of trade unions and professional associations that pay levels - which are determined by government after consultation from a Pay
Review Body - are unsatisfactory for frontline NHS roles."
He highlighted the urgent need to address healthcare workers' economic wellbeing, hoping that the new government will consider it in its upcoming negotiations with
junior doctors this week.