Nurses will not accept a pay rise lower than doctors this year, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned.
It comes amid rumours that NHS doctors will be given a higher pay rise than nurses once again.
“We expect our safety-critical profession to be valued financially”
Nicola Ranger
The Times reported last night that ministers were currently in talks with the Treasury about how to fund an increase for doctors “higher than others in the public sector”.
It said that the government was “optimistic” that it could dodge resident doctor strikes with a “good offer” on pay for 2025-26.
Resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, will also be promised changes in their training and working conditions to head off industrial action, according to The Times.
Medical leaders believe a rise of at least 5% this year would be needed to show the government is serious about returning pay in real terms to 2008 levels, the paper reported.
This is higher than the 2.8-3% deal expected to be given to nurses and other NHS staff working on Agenda for Change contracts – a figure the RCN has previously described as “deeply offensive”.
Nurses are still without a formal pay offer, but ministers have received the final report from the NHS Pay Review Body which makes recommendations to the government on the pay rates of NHS workers.
Speaking today at the 2025 RCN Congress, being held in Liverpool, RCN general secretary and chief executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, warned that the union “will not let” nurses receive a lower pay rise than doctors.
She said: “It has been reported earlier today that they are thinking, in the NHS in England, to give our medical colleagues a significantly higher pay rise than nursing.
“We did not begrudge our colleagues last year, they fought hard for their pay rise.
“But let me say this loud and clear – we will not let this happen again this year.”
Her comments allude to the resident doctor strikes held last year, which forced ministers to offer them a 22% pay rise over two years, while nurses got 5.5% for 2024-25.
Professor Ranger said she wanted prime minister Keir Starmer “to hear directly from us”.
Postcard being sent by RCN members to Keir Starmer
She added: “Enough is enough, he cannot take away and cut nursing posts and use that money to give another profession a pay rise.
“We want him to start putting his money where his mouth is.
“We expect our safety-critical profession to be valued financially. We want career progression, and we want a pay rise.”
RCN members concerned about pay have been asked to sign a postcard (pictured left), which the union has said it will send to 10 Downing Street.
It comes as, earlier this week, Professor Ranger hinted that nurses would be willing to go on strike this year if the government did not deliver a fair pay rise.
