The Pay Consultation - A statement from Gill Walton

By Gill Walton on 23 May 2018 Pay and Agenda For Change

Please do vote in our NHS pay consultation which is open until 31 May, we really value your voice. Inflation figures for April 2018 have been published at 2.4% and are forecast to keep going down, therefore for the first time in years your pay could rise above the rate of inflation. 

The proposals mean that we can start to recoup the losses of the last eight years. I don’t see this as the end point though; it’s the beginning of us being able to once again negotiate for the fair pay you deserve. Those of you in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales we want to hear from you as well. The deal in England will mean money for pay in your country too, and you will get a second vote following negotiations with your governments/employers.

The proposed changes to the NHS pay structure will also provide a welcome increase to starting salaries for new midwives, who will for the first time be burdened with student debt. This combined with the government’s commitment to an extra 3000 training places for midwives over the next four years, is a real win for the RCM. It means we can start to address recruitment and retention in the NHS. But we know more training places must also include a commitment from the government that there will be NHS jobs and funding for these future midwives.