Nursing Career Progression Inequalities 2025-03-25
2025-03-25
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
Nurses across the profession are increasingly taking on complex roles and responsibilities, but many do not have access to higher pay bands reflecting these changes. There is significant variation around the country regarding career progression.
What steps his Department is taking to help tackle inequalities in nursing career progression? Nurses across the profession are increasingly taking on complex roles and responsibilities, yet many do not have access to higher pay bands that reflect these changes, and there is too much variation around the country. As well as looking at this, will the Minister ask the Department of Health and Social Care to implement a consistent model for supported, structured progression from band 5 to band 6 for early career nurses based on the completion of key competencies and the acquisition of necessary experience?
My hon. Friend is right that NHS staff, including nurses, should be paid appropriately for the work they are asked to do and will be asked to do in future. We are working with the NHS Staff Council to ensure that the national job evaluation scheme is implemented fairly and consistently across nursing and all professions.
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Assessment & feedback
The Minister did not commit to implementing a consistent model for supported, structured progression from band 5 to band 6 specifically.
Working With The Nhs Staff Council
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
A constituent named Ben has spent two decades working as a nurse. His paramedic and midwife colleagues received automatic pay band increases post-qualification, while he did not. This has resulted in nurses missing out on tens of thousands of pounds compared to colleagues in other disciplines.
Does the Minister agree that something must be done urgently to make up for this inequity? My constituent Ben has spent two decades working as a nurse. He tells me that his paramedic and midwife colleagues received automatic pay band increases post qualification while he and his nursing peers did not. Ben and his hard-working nursing colleagues have missed out on tens of thousands of pounds compared to colleagues in other disciplines.
I am absolutely clear that we need to make sure that the job evaluation scheme looks at staff across the piece and that people are rewarded appropriately for the work they are asked to do. We will do that as part of our discussions with the NHS Staff Council, and we will be working consistently with staff as part of the 10-year plan to ensure that people are rewarded.
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Assessment & feedback
The Minister did not commit to taking immediate action or implementing specific measures to address pay inequity.
Working Consistently With Staff
Response accuracy