NHS nurses on Agenda for Change (AfC) contracts will receive a pay uplift of 5.5% for 2024/25, it has been confirmed.
Speaking in parliament on Monday, chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that the government had accepted the recommendations of the NHS Pay Review Body in full.
The recommendation document, published by the pay review body last night, sets out a ‘consolidated 5.5% increase with effect from 1 April 2024 for all AfC staff’.
It comes after reports emerged earlier this month that the pay rise for those on Agenda for Change would be more than the 2% the previous government had budgeted for.
The 2024-25 pay award for those on Agenda for Change contracts has been delayed by more than three months – much like previous years.
This pay award will likely exclude the majority of GPNs, as they are employed independently by GP practices, and are largely not on NHS Agenda for Change contracts.
The announcement comes after junior doctors were offered a 22% pay rise in a deal to end strike action yesterday.
Royal College of Nursing 9RCN) general secretary and chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: ‘When it comes to pay in the NHS, all professional groups deserve a clear route to fair pay restoration – making up for a very serious loss of earnings in the last 15 years.
‘Stagnant salaries at a time of spiralling prices forced too many to leave and deterred others from joining.’
She said that while she does not ‘begrudge doctors their pay rise’ she wanted the ‘same fair treatment from government’ for nursing staff.
RCN members will vote on the pay uplift for NHS nursing staff and decide whether they see it ‘as enough of a start on our journey’.
‘Nurses are the ever-present, safety critical workforce across the whole of health and care,’ added Professor Ranger.
‘Our wages do not reflect that and still won’t after today. We will be pushing government to show us their plans for improving NHS pay – it is vital to recruit and retain nursing staff, fill tens of thousands of vacant nurse jobs and give people the care they deserve.’
