As this week drew to a close, I met with the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, and as a result, the Scottish Government has agreed to re-open official pay talks next week. This is a significant moment in our campaign and serves to remind ministers in other nations that the clock is ticking for them to follow suit. We have given them a matter of days to act before we announce where the first strikes will take place.
You made it crystal clear as you cast your votes: nursing will not be silenced when it comes to patient safety and fair pay. Very soon I will share with you details of next steps and more information about how you can get involved.
I’ve been contacted by many individuals and organisations from across the UK who unequivocally support our strike action; indeed, the BMA’s UK Council wrote to me to express solidarity with every one of you who feels that striking is the only way to get the government to listen to concerns and put the NHS and patient care first.
Yesterday, the UK government set out its autumn budget which laid bare ministers’ intentions to ignore the needs of the voting public by failing to invest in health and social care.
We were clear that the Chancellor needed to show commitment to ending the intolerable conditions our profession is facing, but it’s clear he has failed to do so. Unless more is done to attract people into nursing and value them properly so they can afford to stay in the profession, waiting lists will remain long, services will remain under-resourced and nursing staff will remain over-burdened.
We know there are challenging times ahead, but I’m confident that we are acting with integrity and honesty, our motives are clear and our intention quite simple: invest in nursing for the safety of our patients and the future of the NHS.
My door is always open for discussions with decision makers and recently I, along with leaders from other unions, met with Health Minister Steve Barclay, but unfortunately our discussions are no further forward. We also heard from the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this week, who both reiterated their claim that fair pay for nursing is unaffordable, despite them saying they are determined to support the workforce and protect patient safety.
I say to them, they cannot have it all ways. Without the investment so desperately deserved in the form of fair pay, which will serve to attract more nurses into the profession and bolster workforce numbers, colleagues will continue to be expected to do much more with much less. The only way patients will see a difference in the care they receive and the services they have access to is if government puts its money where its mouth is and increases nursing pay.
We hear the phrase ‘…it’s a political choice’ regularly these days; and it’s true. Governments can, if they wish, find additional funding for the NHS, but they are choosing not to, and because of that decision, patients and the profession suffer.
Whilst there are clearly global forces at play impacting domestic decision making, we can’t simply ignore what’s happening across the UK – patients are not receiving the care they need because there aren’t enough nurses to deliver it. Until that is addressed, our fight for fair pay will continue and we’ll develop and deliver our strike action plans.
This week we have launched our strike volunteer roles and I invite you to discover how you can support industrial action, whether as a strike committee volunteer, a picket support volunteer or a digital mobilising volunteer.
Next Wednesday we will hold our third annual Nursing Support Workers’ Day celebration to shine a light on our colleagues who make a difference to nursing teams and patients every day. I look forward to seeing how you mark the day across the UK – it’s the perfect opportunity to say a social media thank you to a nursing support worker colleague.
On 29 November, an Extraordinary General Meeting will be held to give members a chance to discuss the independent review into the culture of the RCN by Bruce Carr KC and the recommendations set out in his report.
You can attend in person or online and take part in a Q&A with me, your Chair of Council Carol Popplestone and your President, Dr Denise Chaffer. You can also submit a question in advance of the EGM.
The independent review into the culture of the RCN is available for members to read, and I invite any member who wants to provide further information to contact SafeCall or email Bruce Carr KC directly.
An independent and confidential help and support line is available to any members and staff who have been affected by issues related to the Carr Review: 0800 783 1157. The line is open every day of the week, 24 hours a day, managed by the Validium Group, with strict policies and procedures to ensure confidentiality.
If you wish to report anything of concern you have experienced whilst engaged in RCN activities or events, or any information related to the content of the report you can still do so: 0800 028 2511. Calls are handled by in confidence by Safecall which specialises in safe reporting systems.
Finally, the public remains on our side, as do other trade unions and public sector organisations who agree - enough is enough. There will be moments where we may feel that support is waning as winter pressures take their toll and care becomes even more difficult to deliver. But I remind you, at the centre of every strike will be patient safety and I urge you to keep that thought close as we continue to walk together down this unfamiliar yet wholly justified path.
