Will nurses get a fair pay deal from the next government?

NHS pay award for 2024/25 is running late, so whichever party wins the election needs to make resolving this issue for nurses one of their first priorities

The first 100 days of any government are seen by politicians and voters as crucial to proving progress.

If the polls are correct, Labour seems likely to win the UK general election on 4 July. The party has pledged to introduce legislation on the economy during the first three months if it forms a government.

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Nurses are still waiting for their pay award

However, nurses will be more concerned about what the probable next health and social care secretary Wes Streeting will do with a document likely in his ministerial red box – the recommendation from the NHS pay review body on this year’s pay award.

Nursing and other staff on Agenda for Change pay bands are still waiting to hear what the award will be for 2024/25, which will need to be backdated to April.

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It will be a test of integrity for the likely-incoming minister to see if he follows through on his election pledges and rhetoric. In an interview with Nursing Standard, Mr Streeting said it was unfair that NHS consultants were given a larger pay award than nurses last year and that he wanted to move as quickly as possible to give nursing staff stability on pay.

Yes, AfC pay deal is about money, but it’s also about the very value of nursing

Whichever party wins, one of the next secretary of state’s first meetings should be with unions representing AfC staff, such as the RCN, to resolve this immediate and crucial issue, which is not just about money but about the value of nursing.

We know some newly registered nurses are voting with their feet, leaving the profession when their career has barely begun, due to the pressures on the health service and the working environment these have created.

• RELATED: Newly registered but leaving the profession

Early progress on the NHS would be an encouraging direction of travel for next government

Fairer pay alone won’t fix this but it would be a positive start.

The new government will have some tough decisions to make and is unlikely to experience a honeymoon period with any part of the public sector. Still, if it is to deliver on its pledges such as cutting NHS waiting lists then it needs to provide a clear signal of a promising long-term relationship with nursing.