National nursing poll on pay

Sir, When the Scottish government gave nursing staff another real-terms pay cut this month, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) decided to ask all 270,000 of its members working in the NHS, including members working in NHS Scotland, how they wanted to respond.

The Scottish government’s one per cent pay cap is a below-inflation pay award and ignores RCN’s evidence on the impact this will have on nursing staff.

The RCN Council voted to launch a poll of all RCN members working in the NHS.

It gives nursing staff across Scotland a stronger voice and a direct way to decide what action the RCN takes.

Nursing staff are beyond disappointed by six years of real-term pay cuts. In the same period, the pressure in the NHS has reached unprecedented levels, nursing staff are being asked to do more with less, and morale is at an all-time low.

In the online poll, RCN members have a chance to vote for action short of a strike – such as not working unpaid overtime – or even taking the historical decision to take strike action.

The wellbeing of patients is the top priority of every nurse and healthcare support worker and, rightly, governments have praised their dedication and skill.

But warm words don’t pay the bills and too many are struggling to make ends meet.

We now find ourselves in an unexpected general election and the RCN will use the collective voice of UK nursing to remind all parties how damaging the real terms pay cut has been to nursing staff and the impact this has on patient care. Michael Brown, Elspeth Caithness, RCN Scotland.