Responding to the new GP contract for 2024/25, RCN Director for England Patricia Marquis said:
"General practice is the bedrock of the NHS in England, and its nursing workforce are highly-skilled professionals who keep communities safe and healthy. But sadly, the new contract fails to recognise this, devaluing nursing, undermining patient services and further damaging general practice.
“The changes for the upcoming year will do little to improve the working lives of general practice nursing staff or improve access to care for patients. It will also do next to nothing for the thousands of general practice nurses who have still not received any pay increase for 2023/2024 despite being promised a 6% uplift by government last year.
“There are deep inequalities in general practice nursing pay which need to be addressed, including by ministers ring-fencing investment in nursing pay within any future award.
“Including enhanced nurses in the ARRS should give practices more flexibility to bring skilled and qualified nursing staff into primary care networks. However, without due care the move could exacerbate the two-tiered nature of nursing pay between general practice and the NHS.
“It also remains to be seen what the role and responsibilities of these positions will be. Enhanced nurses in a primary care network must be able to grow nursing leadership within primary care, not plaster over gaps in services.”
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