The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has welcomed the news that the Government will not pursue a separate pay spine for NHS nurses.
The RCM described the proposals as ‘divisive and unfair’ when it submitted evidence to the Government’s consultation in 2024 and has been staunchly opposed to the creation of a separate pay scale for nurses.
Midwives and maternity support workers work within multi-disciplinary teams and to separate out one profession from the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay scale would have eroded morale and led to resentment between the professions, said RCM.
Commenting, the RCM’s Director for Employment Relations, Joanne Kaye said:
“We are really pleased that the Government has listened to the concerns of the RCM and other trade unions representing NHS staff. The RCM believes in fairness and equity for all AfC staff and to separate out one profession from another would have been divisive. Teamwork is the foundation on which the NHS is built, and years of experience shows us it is the best way to deliver safe high-quality care.”
The RCM has also used their response to this consultation as another opportunity to highlight the career and development issues faced by its members. The RCM says barriers to career progression and development in addition to other issues are not unique to one group of staff. Midwives and MSWs are not only struggling to access training and development opportunities, but also meaningful appraisals, the updating of job descriptions and access to local job evaluation processes. Structural issues with AfC are also impacting RCM members.
Joanne added:
“On this occasion the Government has done the right thing, particularly as pay is a key factor in the midwifery recruitment and retention issues currently blighting maternity services. Midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs), like all NHS staff, were due their pay award on 1 April, yet again they are left waiting, watching their colleagues in Scotland receive their pay offer. We highlighted in our evidence to the Pay Review Body the damage these delays continue to do to the morale of staff, many of whom feel disillusioned with the entire Pay Review Body process. The Government has said it wants to get timings back on track, so we are calling on them to act on that.”
The RCM submitted its evidence to the Pay Review Body (PRB) on behalf of its members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for the 2025-26 pay round in November last year. You can read more about that here. In January this year RCM staff and members gave oral evidence to the PRB about the impact years of pay restraint has had on RCM members.
