Nurse Union Outrage Over NHS Pay Deal Announcement
May 22, 2025
Nursing professionals in England and Wales are set to receive a 3.6% wage increase later this year, but unions are expressing strong dissatisfaction, arguing that the pay rise is insufficient and comes too late.
The pay increase will apply to all staff on Agenda for Change contracts, including nurses, midwives, paramedics, and other NHS workers, and will be backdated to April 2025.
Nicola Ranger, a prominent union leader, highlighted that this increase is too small to counter the 15 years of pay erosion nursing staff have endured. She described it as a clear indication of a “broken system.”
Details of the Pay Deal
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Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed the pay rise during a UK Parliament session today. The increase will take effect in August 2025 and follows the recommendations of the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB). The deal also includes a commitment to reforming the Agenda for Change pay structure to address long-standing issues related to pay banding.
In Wales, Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Miles made a similar announcement regarding the pay rise, which mirrors the one in England.
Streeting also unveiled other pay increases: 4% for consultants, specialists, GPs, and dentists, and a 5.4% average rise for resident doctors. These figures are based on separate recommendations from the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration and the Senior Salaries Review Body.
Union Reactions: Pay Rise Seen as Insufficient
Despite the higher-than-expected 3.6% pay increase (compared to the 2.8% the government had initially budgeted for), unions argue that the rise is still inadequate.
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) General Secretary and CEO, Professor Nicola Ranger, stated that the increase would be “entirely swallowed up by inflation” and demonstrates that nursing staff are not truly valued. She criticized the government for offering doctors a better pay rise than nurses and noted that starting salaries for nurses are still too low.
The new deal will raise the starting salary of an Agenda for Change band 5 nurse to approximately £31,050, up from around £27,050 in 2022/23, marking a £4,000 increase.
Ranger emphasized that nursing professionals have experienced 15 years of pay stagnation and called the pay rise a symptom of a failing system that consistently undervalues the workforce. The RCN will put the pay offer to a vote among its members, but the outcome will not impact the implementation of the deal.
At the RCN’s annual congress in Liverpool, Ranger warned that she wouldn’t rule out strike action if a better deal isn’t reached. She added that nurses would “bear their teeth” in their pursuit of fair compensation.
Government’s Position: Acknowledging the Challenges
Wes Streeting defended the government’s decision to accept the PRB’s recommendations. He acknowledged the challenges nurses face and stated that the 3.6% rise, in addition to the 5.5% increase last year, would help address their concerns. The starting salary for a nurse will rise by nearly £4,000, he said, and there are plans to reform the pay structure in 2026/27 to address systemic issues.
Streeting also pointed to efforts to tackle violence against NHS staff and legislation to protect the title of “nurse” as part of a broader strategy to improve nurses’ working conditions.
While Streeting acknowledged the years of underfunding and neglect that have impacted nursing, he emphasized the government’s ongoing commitment to transforming the NHS and improving working conditions for healthcare professionals.
Late Announcement Sparks Further Criticism
Unions, however, were also critical of the delay in announcing the pay deal. Normally, Agenda for Change pay settlements are agreed by April each year, but this year’s announcement was made much later, leaving many nursing staff frustrated and demoralized.
Helen Whyley, RCN Executive Director for Wales, expressed disappointment, arguing that the late announcement deepened feelings of disillusionment among nursing staff. She stated that the uplift was insufficient to compensate for the years of real-term pay cuts faced by the workforce.
Call for Direct Pay Negotiations
Unison, which represents many nurses and other healthcare workers, also criticized the deal, claiming that NHS staff would likely be disappointed with the 3.6% increase. Unison’s head of health, Helga Pile, repeated the union’s call for the governments in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to follow Scotland’s lead and move away from the NHS Pay Review Body process.
Pile argued that direct negotiations between unions, employers, and government ministers would lead to more fair and timely pay settlements. She also condemned the differential pay increases for doctors and dentists, which she believes could create further divisions within the NHS workforce.
“The NHS is one team and should be treated as such,” Pile said. “Nurses, paramedics, cleaners, and all other staff on Agenda for Change contracts will feel less valued compared to their doctor colleagues. This will only heighten discontent among an already demoralized workforce.”
A Mixed Response from Health Leaders
Some health leaders have welcomed the fact that the 2025-26 pay deal has finally been agreed. Danny Mortimer, Chief Executive of NHS Employers, stated that the increase was above the government’s initial budget expectations and that NHS organizations would now work with NHS England to reflect the deal in their financial plans for the year.