More than a quarter of general practice nursing staff across the UK are considering leaving their role within the next 12 months, an exclusive Nursing in Practice survey has revealed.
Concerns over pay and feeling ‘undervalued’ were to blame for general practice nurses (GPNs) and other nursing staff wanting to walk away from the sector.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) warned the risk of nurses leaving practices would ‘hinder patient care’ and worsen pressures on the NHS.
Our survey of more than 550 nursing staff working in GP practices – GPNs, advanced nurse practitioners, nursing associates and others – saw a significant 28% of respondents report thinking about leaving general practice within the next year.
Of those wanting to quit the sector, the most commonly cited reason was because they felt ‘undervalued’ in their job (68%), followed by concerns that pay is not keeping in line with the cost of living (67%) or reflecting their responsibilities and workload (60%).
Almost half of those wanting to leave blamed high workloads (48%) and job-related stress (45%).
Other concerns included a lack of career progression opportunities (29%), feeling isolated in the role (26%) and the impact of the additional roles reimbursement scheme (15%).
Just under a quarter (24%) of those thinking about leaving said they planned to retire.
‘I am definitely leaving’
One respondent to our survey said: ‘I’m not thinking, I am definitely leaving. Burn out, fatigue and no pay rise and lack of employer appreciation has made this decision.’
Another added: ‘I'd love to stay where I am, but I just don't feel my role is appreciated or understood and the pay is dreadful compared to the stress and levels of responsibility.’
Further still, only one-third (35%) of GP nursing respondents said they saw themselves working in general practice in five years’ time.
Meanwhile, more than a quarter (26%) said they would be retired in five years’ time and a further 7% said they planned to be working in a role outside of nursing in that period.
‘Findings are incredibly worrying’
RCN national officer Jeni Watts said: ‘These findings are incredibly worrying and a consequence of the repeated failure to value general practice nursing staff.
‘They face significant disparities in pay, terms and conditions and access to professional development compared to their NHS counterparts.’
Ms Watts added: ‘Many also haven’t received a pay rise for this year or last year, despite practices receiving targeted funding for pay via the global sum uplift.
‘Under these circumstances it shouldn’t be surprising that many could choose to walk away.’
Earlier findings from our survey found that half of general practice nursing staff across the UK have not yet received a pay rise for 2024/25.
Of those who have received an uplift this year, only around one in six (16%) were awarded the 6% recommended by the government in England.
Ms Watts warned that general practice nursing staff ‘leaving in these numbers would hinder patient care’.
‘It would reduce capacity in a vital service in the community, worsening pressures on the NHS,’ she added.
‘It would fundamentally undermine the government’s ambitions to move care away from hospitals and closer to people’s homes.’
She said a move towards prevention to improve health outcomes must be backed by proper investment in the nursing workforce who deliver this care.
‘Valuing nurses in general practice starts with improving pay, terms and conditions so that they are at least in line with those in the health service,’ said Ms Watts.
‘GPNs lack voice and do not feel supported’
Dr Helen Anderson, research fellow at the University of York, and previously a GPN and advanced nurse practitioner, said the findings reflect what nurses in primary care have told her in her recent research into the sector.
‘They feel undervalued, lack voice and do not feel supported,’ she told Nursing in Practice.
She said pay was an issue for two reasons – one, because ‘current cost of living challenges mean that some nurses cannot afford to work in general practice’.
And secondly because ‘pay is seen as a marker for professional respect’.
‘If pay is poor, this indicates a lack of value employers place on nurses as individuals and as a profession,’ said Dr Anderson.
‘In addition, it is considered that there is almost a “wilful blindness” from employers, as recognising the level of responsibility and workload of nurses in general practice would require employers to pay them their worth.’
Meanwhile, lead nurse at West Leeds Primary Care Network, Ruth Colbeck, said: ‘How are we going to attract nurses into general practice and primary care with such large gaps in pay?
‘Nurses have bills to pay like the rest of the population. Working in primary care and general practice requires a variety of skills and the ability to work autonomously and should be reflected in pay scales.’
She added: ‘From a personal viewpoint I started in my current role as a PCN lead nurse on a band 8a equivalent but now after almost two years in the role my salary equates to a band 7.
‘This does little to promote the opportunities to move care away from secondary care and closer to home if staff cannot afford to move into this area.’
These are interim findings with more detailed data to be published in a full report produced with our sister title Management in Practice in early 2025.
This survey was open from 20 September until 18 October 2024, collating responses using the SurveyMonkey tool. A total of 552 general practice nursing staff responded to these questions from across the UK, with the majority within England. The survey was advertised to our readers via our website and email newsletter, with a prize draw for £100 vouchers as an incentive to complete the survey. The survey was unweighted, and we do not claim this to be scientific – only a snapshot.
