DIARY OF A GENERAL PRACTICE NURSE
In a new series, general practice nurse Jane Coomber reflects on the current debate about pay and employment conditions for nurses in general practice
I was having a chat with colleagues recently regarding GPN’s pay and conditions. I have been trying to keep up to date on the news in our nursing publications and with other people’s views and comments regarding the government 6% uplift and backdates, that have or in most cases it seems have not, been awarded to nurses working in general practice.
My colleague Rebecca Corneck recently spoke at a Nursing in Practice event in London saying: ‘We don’t shout much, we’re really quiet’. Do we need to shout more?
Some of us are really angry about this; it feels very unjust
Some of us are really angry about this; a lot of people are going to be taking their pensions and going on Bank or into private healthcare to earn more.
If you are living independently and not in the advantageous position of having someone else pay your bills; you’re like me, feeling the pinch, of course you want to shout a bit about this subject. It feels very unjust.
Last year, the RCN called for the change in funding to be ringfenced. When will this happen? When and how will it be enforced, and we see actual money in our monthly pay slips? We all remember the lovely pro forma letter we were all supposed to send off to our respective employers asking for our share of this pay increase. Did you get anything? I didn’t get a response.
One thing seems clear: we are and always have been at the mercy of our employers.
There is no legislation currently that supports the way in which GPNs are paid that keeps in line with our NHS hospital/community colleagues, and quite frankly I find this appalling.
Why is it that since we first became part of the primary care landscape, we have had to negotiate our pay and conditions? Touting our skills; selling ourselves like a door-to-door salesperson to the highest bidder in order to earn a living wage?
Okay, you may say that’s a bit dramatic, and to calm down, but seriously, when you look at what some of us are earning, it’s really demeaning considering our years of nursing experience and qualifications.
When you look at what some of us are earning, it’s really demeaning considering our years of nursing experience and qualifications
Now I’m not speaking for myself personally here, I’m a newbie to this game, but when I started looking for work once qualified, I was horrified how little GP practices were prepared to pay for this service. There’s been a few jobs I’ve not even considered due to pay and conditions.
It’s a brilliant service that we provide too. Consider how much revenue we bring into the surgery, it’s amazing. Without us, QOF targets will not have been fully achieved, and payments won’t be given to surgeries and health centres.
The sheer level and pace of work in some clinics is often horrendous, as I discussed with a hub colleague last week. What’s happened to the money, if the surgery received it, but you didn’t?
What’s happened to the money, if the surgery received it, but you didn’t?
Yes, this probably sounds like a rant, but we shouldn’t be complacent; we should be angry. Our nursing colleagues in hospital settings had their pay increased. My newly qualified Band 5 friend in hospital showed me her pay slip. Where’s ours?
What can we do about it? Parade up and down the street with placards? We’re all too busy at work trying to earn a living wage.
We asked our employers for the uplift, and very few practices gave it according to the stats gathered. The government and our trade unions pledged to support us. Now what?
Jane Coomber is a general practice nurse in south London. Look out for more in this new regular column: The Diary of A General Practice Nurse
Last week, Nursing in Practice launched a new and exclusive report providing exclusive data and analysis on the state of general practice nursing pay.
