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Nurses need above-inflation pay rise to halt exodus of staff, say RCN

NURSES need an above-inflation pay rise to halt the exodus of staff from the NHS, their union has said.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the UK’s largest nursing union, said ahead of the TUC demo on Saturday that nurses are struggling to feed their families as the cost-of-living crisis deepens.

The NHS has more than 40,000 nursing vacancies, with more leaving every month, creating an ever-increasing workload for those who remain.

Hospital trusts are also spending millions on expensive agency nurses to fill the gaps.

RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen said: “Ministers’ failure to give nursing fair pay – including more than a decade of real-terms pay cuts – is having a devastating impact on their own wellbeing and the safety of care for their patients.

“The cost-of-living crisis has brought this to a head, with too many nursing staff struggling to feed their families or put fuel in their cars.

“This lack of respect is forcing nurses to leave in greater number, with 25,000 permanently quitting in the last year alone. 

"We cannot afford to lose a single professional — politicians must act urgently to stem the tide. Their imminent NHS pay deals must not only match inflation but go 5 per cent above it.

“Official figures from the NHS only weeks ago showed that the number of unfilled nursing jobs in England is rising, not falling, and ministers face a major challenge to retain experienced staff.”

In March, the government withdrew funding for nurses’ parking at work and many NHS trusts reintroduced parking charges which had been suspended during the pandemic.

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