The pay offer made today (20 August 2024) follows weeks of negotiations between the RCN, other health trade unions, the Scottish government and NHS employers. The offer is for a consolidated 5.5% increase with effect from 1 April 2024 for all NHS Scotland staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions.
The health trade unions submitted a joint pay claim in February. The offer follows months of pressure on the Scottish government from the RCN and other trade unions and weeks of negotiations.
The detail of the offer is being considered by the RCN Scotland Board, your elected representatives in Scotland. We will update you on the next steps regarding consultation as soon as possible.
Responding to the NHS pay offer from Scottish Government, RCN Scotland Director Colin Poolman said: “It has taken months of pressure from the RCN and other health trade unions to get to this point. Nursing staff are rightly frustrated that the Scottish government has kept them waiting while the cost of living continued to increase.
“Our pay claim, submitted in February, called for an offer that reflects increases in living costs and begins to address the historic erosion of pay. Our members will decide if today’s announcement is enough. That process begins with RCN Scotland Board members looking at the offer in detail.
“Nursing staff are the ever-present, safety-critical workforce across the whole of health and care. Our wages do not reflect this and still won’t after today. Fair pay is vital to recruiting and retaining nursing staff, to filling the thousands of vacant nurse jobs and giving people the care they deserve.”
