Home Hospital nurses

Nurses offered 8% pay rise over three years

The government has offered nurses a three-year pay deal that could give them a pay rise of nearly 8% by 2011.

Following a recommendation of 2.75% from the NHS Pay Review body on Friday, health unions went into negotiations with the government and thrashed out a three-year deal worth 7.99% over the weekend.

In 2008-2009, nurses and other NHS non-medical staff will get a pay rise of 2.75%, which honours the recommendations of the Pay Review Body in full.

Pay rises for the following two years were then negotiated by the RCN, Unison and the government, which propose NHS staff get an extra 2.4% in 2009-2010 and 2.25% the following year.

A further 0.59% will be gained by reworking Agenda for Change pay bands five and six to give nurses more money in the final two years of the deal.

Another clause in the deal means the NHS Pay Review Body could be called in to make recommendations if the economy deteriorates and changes to the lower pay bands will create an NHS minimum wage of £6.77 per hour.

The RCN and Unison, whose negotiators agreed the proposals with the government, will now consult with other health unions and their members over the deal.

RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: 'We have always said we would only consider signing up to a three-year pay deal if it was fair and offered nurses protection against future rises in inflation. We are delighted to put the RCN's name to a proposal that does just that.'

Karen Jennings, Unison head of health, said: 'The proposed deal adheres to the pay review body recommendations and is the highest in the public sector.'

However the Royal College of Midwifery has not recommended the deal to members, saying it would mean a real-terms cut in wages.

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Reader Response

Added: Tuesday, 15 April 2008 19:50 BST
jenny white, Aylesbury, United Kingdom

i am appalled that once again nurses are considered bottom of the pile by this government. an 8% increase over 3 years is an absolute insult to all hardworking nurses and health professionals. the NHS relys on nurses goodwill to keep the service running. Most nurses work far above their given hours, they are not paid overtime. we are supposed to take the time back as time owing! thats a joke. Mps are requesting a huge salary increase as usual, how on earth can this be fair.


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Added: Friday, 11 April 2008 06:12 BST
Craig McCadden, London, United Kingdom

Inflation is Above 2.75 % per annum so It's in REAL LIFE A PAY CUT FOR 3 YEARS!!!!!
Are nurses not Graduates???? This makes me feel undervalued as a so called Professional! Do the Government think this is a Pat on the back?? More like a slap in the Face for Hard working Nurses trying to meet Government targets!!
Maybe they don't care about the NHS these days as they All Go Private when their ill!!
TUBE WORKERS GET PAID MORE THAN GRADUATES IN NURSING!!! THEY ALSO HAVE A GOOD UNION WHO NEVER BACKS DOWN UNTIL THEIR WORKERS ARE PAID PROPERLY BY THE GOVERNMENT!!! Why don't the so called Nursing Profesion take a Leaf out of their BOOK!!


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Added: Wednesday, 9 April 2008 18:54 BST
Anonymous, blackwood, United Kingdom

having only just been banded on agenda for change, i have only just been given the rise for last year, no back pay yet, so i feel particularly doubtful that we will get anything like what is being proposed.


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Added: Wednesday, 9 April 2008 17:15 BST
Anonymous, Glasgow, United Kingdom

It's about time us nurses stood up for ourselfs and took action. maybe if we took some action and showed the government that we are serious, then they may listen. unions are great at times but lets stop pandering to politics and do something real. talking has got us nowhere so far, so why not strike. nurses have taking so much garbbish over the years, lets stand up for ourselfs


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Added: Wednesday, 9 April 2008 16:09 BST
Natalie Kirkhope, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

I have just been reading about this and i think it's disgusting to say the least. Currently I am still at school, but i have been accepted on a nursing degree course and obviously matters such as these do concern me despite how much i want to be a nurse. I'm now 18 but since i was 16 and held a lifeguarding qualification i have been getting £10 an hour, i know i'm lucky but if i can get that at 16, with one week worth of training and less experience, how can the government justify giving me a lot less per hour, having done three years training, at more personal expense and then doing a job that carries more responisibility? It seems insane.


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Added: Wednesday, 9 April 2008 12:57 BST
Anonymous, Keighley, United Kingdom

I have more qualifications (including one for teaching), than the majority of teachers and police officers. Coupled with my experience in dealing with the public.......it would be nice just to have their pay structure and the same % pay rise


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Added: Wednesday, 9 April 2008 11:10 BST
Anonymous, Antrim, United Kingdom

The poor nurses get in the neck again, the government are trying to bleed us dry,
8% over three years is appaling. We should be getting what we are worth and that is much more than 8% over 1 year. A work to rule should be implemented, i work in a theatre department and at the minute we are working with the bare minimum of staff , we cover other wards when their own staff are out sick we do on call from home and sometimes end up working up to 18 hrs and more because of this. who cares about us nurses? We should end our good will and demand to be treated as equals and stand up for fair pay.


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Added: Tuesday, 8 April 2008 16:23 BST
Anonymous, Greenford, United Kingdom

8% over three years is a ridiculous offer not to mention an insult. The government wonders why they cant fulfill their election promises of improving the health sector? perhaps by offering nurses a proper salary increase and realistic wage it would attract more nurses to work in the health service thus improving it.
we work long , hard hours with rubbish holidays and what little time off is spent subsidising our pathetic wages with overtime and bank shifts. As for spring break because early eastertime, huh, what is a break? cant remember when i last had one! Isnt it about time the government gave nurses a break and offer us a realistic, honest pay rise?


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Added: Tuesday, 8 April 2008 15:48 BST
bruce webster, doncaster, United Kingdom

Nurses (and other health professionals) need to realise this is a pay cut, taking into account the increasing cost of goods, fuel, council tax etc. HOWEVER, we do not need to strike which worries a lot of staff. Staff only need to work to rule or implement an over-time ban, that means you are still fulfilling your contract and will thereby maintain public support. Managers will never fill the gaps that are left as most staff work more hours than they should. Health professionals also need to be more active after all, vote turnout on A4C was below 20%.


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Added: Tuesday, 8 April 2008 15:34 BST
HAROLD HULL, ROCHDALE, United Kingdom

The MPs' and all other Government ministers want a £23K pay rise.
We fund this pay rise for them as tax payers.
Typical Labour Government.
Give you half a handful and take 3 back.
What happened to equality and fair pay for all?


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