Hundreds of thousands of nurses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland begin voting on a government pay offer, as unions warn of renewed strike action if the deal is rejected.
Almost 350,000 NHS nurses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will begin voting from Monday on whether to accept a 3.6% pay increase, in a move that could determine whether the health service faces another wave of strikes, media reported.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), which represents the majority of nursing staff, has already dismissed the offer as “grotesque” and warned that rejection could trigger a formal strike ballot, the BBC reported.
The vote, described by union officials as the largest consultation of nurses in UK history, comes amid widespread discontent over the government’s latest pay award. Ministers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland accepted independent review body recommendations to grant varying pay increases across the NHS — including 5.4% for junior doctors, 4% for consultants and 3.6% for nursing and other healthcare staff.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) calls the 3.6% pay rise “grotesque,” urging nurses to reject the offer amid growing anger over a decade of stagnant wages and worsening staff shortages in the NHS.
For the government, the offer is a step forward. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the increase marks the second pay rise above inflation for NHS workers in less than a year and would, for the first time, lift starting salaries for nurses above £30,000. “We can’t undo a decade and a half of neglect in less than a year, but together with NHS staff this government is rebuilding their pay and rebuilding our health service,” the spokesperson added.
However, the RCN argues the offer does little to reverse years of pay stagnation. Professor Nicola Ranger, the RCN’s General Secretary, said nursing has been relegated to the “bottom of the NHS pay scale,” despite being one of the most trusted professions in the country. “It is time to show that nurses are valued,” she said. “From today, hundreds of thousands of NHS nursing staff will give their verdict on whether 3.6% is enough.”
Ranger also highlighted that nursing staff have endured over a decade of real-terms pay erosion, which has contributed to high attrition rates. “Skyrocketing numbers are quitting the profession. A below-par pay offer does nothing to halt the exodus,” she said.
While the RCN insists that the current vote is a consultation and not a strike ballot, tensions are mounting. Should members reject the pay deal, the union is expected to proceed to a formal strike vote — reviving memories of last year’s protracted industrial disputes, which saw nurses, doctors and other health workers take to picket lines.
Patricia Marquis, RCN England Director, reiterated the union’s position in a BBC interview: “This is not a strike ballot, but it is a significant moment for the profession.”
The potential for fresh industrial action comes as the government prepares to unveil a long-awaited 10-year workforce plan for the NHS in England. The timing is delicate, with ongoing ballots among junior doctors and other health unions on strike action — creating a complex backdrop for the NHS’s future strategy.
Scotland has taken a different route, with the devolved government already securing a two-year 8% deal with health unions, thereby avoiding the unrest currently brewing south of the border.
As voting begins, the outcome will be closely watched by policymakers, NHS managers and patients alike. It could determine not only the short-term stability of the health service but also signal the profession’s confidence in how the government values its work.
