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Nurses escalate battle over pay and recruitment |
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The Royal College of Nursing has written to Health Secretary Humza Yousaf to notify him that the union has entered an official trade dispute with the government and NHS Scotland amid ‘serious concerns’ over the viability of the workforce and patient care.
In February the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said it was frustrated at the government’s decision to press ahead with a 4% pay rise for nursing staff despite the College rejecting the offer.
The RCN is calling for a 12.5% pay increase for nurses across the UK, and today said the Scottish government must now act urgently to ensure staffing levels are safe and quality patient care can be delivered.
In a letter to Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Humza Yousaf, Julie Lamberth, Chair of the RCN Scotland Board, wrote that members have ‘serious concerns’ about recruitment and retention and that her organisation had been ‘left with no choice’ but to lodge a trade dispute.
In a statement the RCN said: ‘Nursing pay has not kept pace with the cost of living and the Scottish government NHS pay offer falls far short of the RCN’s call for a significant pay rise that applies equally across all bands.’
Ms Lamberth added: “The Scottish government has relied on the goodwill of nursing staff for too long. For years, we have been responding to the challenge of delivering safe and effective patient care, in the face of increasing demands, staff shortages and low pay.
“These issues have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Nursing staff are exhausted, with worrying numbers considering leaving the profession.
“Every patient needs and deserves the best quality of care. This can only be safely achieved with the right number of nursing staff with the right skills and expertise.
“Today’s action - writing to the Cabinet Secretary to lodge our trade dispute – is a formal expression of our members’ frustration and concern for patient safety. We are sending a clear message that the time to value nursing as a safety critical profession is now.”
Read more: Pay rise described as ‘disappointing’; New funding must focus on ‘traumatised’ staff; Nurses still denied ‘safe space’ to speak out
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