Writing on behalf of over 72,000 RCN members who live and work in the capital, RCN London Director, Lisa Elliott, asked the London Mayoral candidates to take action to support London’s nursing community. In the letter she said that mounting service pressures in the city’s health and care service are making everything a “relentless battle” for nursing staff. She added that “chronic staff shortages, rising waiting lists, and the increasing incidence of violence and aggression towards staff are pushing many in the nursing profession to the brink” and as a result, RCN London members “feel undervalued, unheard, and taken for granted by politicians.”
Lisa highlighted that the next Mayor of London has the power to bring about significant improvements to the lives of London’s nursing community but added that there “must be a willingness to do”. She called on the next mayor to commit to implementing RCN London’s five key priorities:
- Publicly support the RCN’s campaign for Fair Pay For Nursing
- Advocate for increasing nurse staffing levels in London to ensure safe and effective care for patients
- Take urgent action to protect nursing staff from acts of violence and aggression
- Make access to genuinely affordable housing a priority for nursing staff
- Introduce free travel on public transport for nursing staff
In the letter, Lisa outlined how the on-going cost of living crisis was having a detrimental impact on the lives of nursing staff.
From a recent survey of RCN London members, 75% said they are financially worse off compared to 12 months ago; 62% reported rationing gas and electricity while 90% said financial pressures are having a considerable impact on their mental health. 55% said that they are likely to leave nursing altogether within the next five years, citing the lack affordable housing as the main reason for leaving1.
Lisa highlighted that despite nursing being a highly skilled, degree-educated, safety-critical profession, poor pay and soaring living costs are forcing staff to leave nursing at a time when Londoners and the city’s health and care system need them most.
Lisa added, “when voting on 2 May, nursing staff will look for candidates who will actively champion their cause and show real commitment that will be backed up by concrete action, to support London’s nursing community and the patients they care for”.
Read the letter sent to Mayoral candidates
Find out more on our election hub
1 The RCN's Cost of Living survey ran for two weeks between 8 January and 21 January 2024 and members across the UK were invited to respond. For the London region, a total of 1,952 responses were received and analysed. Topics in the survey covered how much respondents earnt and spent on a range of costs such as housing, utilities, food and transportation.
