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RCN calls for new NHS pay deal to extend to GP practice nurses

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is calling for the NHS pay deal to be extended to nursing staff across the NHS and social care, including those working in general practice.

Today, the nurses’ representative body said it formally backs the Government-proposed deal, after 77% of members voted in favour of proposals.

The deal, which currently does not extend to GP staff as they are not on Agenda for Change contracts, would see affected staff receive a pay rise of between 6.5-22% over three years.

Having announced the vote, RCN chief executive and general secretary Janet Davies said: ‘We will turn our campaigning fire on getting this pay rise extended to nursing staff in other parts of the NHS and social care too.

‘The care sector already suffers from high staff turnover and so pay must be boosted there too if we are to prevent a nursing exodus for better paid jobs in hospitals and the community.’

The Treasury has committed to fully fund the deal for the next three years with an extra £4.2bn and pledged to match this funding level in the three other countries of the UK.

In Scotland and Wales, pay negotiations are subsequently underway but the absence of government in Northern Ireland means the increase will be delayed.

The deal is expected to receive final approval at a meeting of unions, the NHS and Government on 27 June. After this, a formal communication will be sent to NHS employers to begin paying the higher amount in July pay packets.

The raise applies to the current financial year and NHS employers will backdate the increase to April 2018.

A version of this article was first featured by Pulse’s sister magazine Nursing in Practice