How has the one percent pay rise impacted UK nurses?

Whether public or private, nursing is a challenging industry in which workers are expected to give their all, often under difficult circumstances. Given this, remuneration can often be a topic of heated discussion for nurses across the UK. This ongoing point of contention was bought to the fore by the unprecedented health emergency created by the Covid-19 pandemic, and of course, the role nurses played in combatting it.

Here, we will be breaking down the impact of the one percent pay rise nurses have received in the aftermath of the pandemic, and strategies for nurses to make the most of the opportunities for fair remuneration available to them. 

The case for a pay rise

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the UK with full force, the National Health Service, and particularly the nation’s nurses, were thrust into the limelight and celebrated as national heroes. Every Thursday, citizens across the nation came out onto their doorsteps to cheer, whistle, and applaud in a socially distanced display of gratitude to the healthcare workers who were working long hours, and endangering themselves, to treat critically ill Covid-19 patients. 

After such a gruelling year, there was a widespread feeling that the nation’s nurses had earned an increase in their salaries: August of 2020 saw numerous protests to demand exactly this, and the calls continued into 2021. Many hoped for a sizable jump to match the sacrifices made by nursing professionals during the health crisis. So, when the announcement came that nurses in fact would only see a one percent pay rise, its recipients were disappointed, to say the least. Many influential figures in the industry also voiced their displeasure, with Dame Donna Kinnair, the Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College for Nursing, calling the decision ‘pitiful and bitterly disappointing’. 

Where does the one percent pay rise leave nurses?

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