Nurses set to accept pay deal

Nurses will be asked to vote on the pay deal

Nurses have been urged to accept a new pay deal which could see many of them earning over £30,000.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the government deal would see a third of all nurses earning more than £30,000 within two years.

The government's Agenda for Change, published in November, said more than a million NHS worker would get a 10% rise over three years.

This week further details emerged about how much more the package would offer nurses.

Accept

The RCN said it was urging its 355,000 members to accept the proposals.

The RCN said that if members backed the package their would be significant benefits for patient care as nurses' pay, professional development and career opportunities would be improved.

They now have the opportunity to decide for themselves

Jill Jarvis

But they hit out at plans to give just a 3.2% rise in the first year.

Chairman Jill Jarvis said: "We have been negotiating with the Government on Agenda for Change for nearly four years and the council has decided to recommend the package to our members.

"They now have the opportunity to decide for themselves.

"The package is very complex and will require an enormous effort on the part of employers, managers and staff representatives to explain the detail and enable our members to make an informed decision."

RCN members will now vote on the package and the results will be announced in April.