Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Nursing Career Progression: Inequalities

Tuesday 25 March 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Kevin McKenna questioned the Department about steps taken to address inequalities in nursing career progression.
  • Alison Bennett highlighted the urgent need to address inequity in pay progression for nurses compared to paramedics and midwives.
  • The Minister stated the Department is working with the NHS Staff Council to ensure fair and consistent implementation of the national job evaluation scheme.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Kevin McKenna Lab Sittingbourne and Sheppey
NHS
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.

Question

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?

Answer from The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)

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.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to implementing a consistent model for supported, structured progression from band 5 to band 6 specifically.

How: Working With The Nhs Staff Council

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Q2 Alison Bennett Lib Dem Mid Sussex
NHS
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.

Question

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.

Answer from The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)

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.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to taking immediate action or implementing specific measures to address pay inequity.

How: Working Consistently With Staff

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