Nurses March On Holyrood Over Pay

About 300 nurses are to stage a rally at Holyrood protesting over what they claims is a pay cut in real terms. The Royal College of Nursing in Scotland says nurses feel angry, frustrated and let down by last week’s government announcement on pay.

It recommended a pay award of 1.5% from 1 April and a further 1% from November. Nurses will break off from a one-day conference at nearby Dynamic Earth so delegates can make their feelings known to MSPs at the Scottish Parliament.

The conference is in effect summing up a three-year long campaign launched in 2004 aimed at increasing staffing levels in order not to jeopardise the quality of care that patients receive.

Although the union’s campaigning has been successful in some areas, it has failed to convince ministers in the key area of pay. In a survey last month of more than 1,000 RCN members, almost two-thirds said they would be prepared to take some form of industrial action if they received an unsatisfactory pay deal.

Speaking ahead of the conference, RCN Scotland vice-chairwoman Joan Wilson said: “On the one hand we have the Scottish public saying they are concerned that nurse understaffing would have an impact on patient safety and on the other we have the government cutting our wages.

“Imagine what could happen to the NHS if we lose more staff because of poor pay and low morale? Make no mistake, this pay offer will push new recruits and experienced staff out of the door and ultimately it will affect patient care.”

RCN UK general secretary, Dr Peter Carter, will address the conference to update nurses on the RCN’s pay campaign. He said: “Nurses aren’t some tool to be used to tackle inflation. They are the people who have delivered lower waiting times and improved patient care.”