Royal College of Podiatry to consult members over the offer on NHS pay in England
Voting on the offer, which will take place in an online survey, will open shortly, and run until noon, Thursday 27 April
The Royal College of Podiatry's (RCPod’s) member-led Employment Support Committee feels that it cannot recommend the offer, although we acknowledge that it is the best that can be achieved without prolonged industrial action.
We do not feel that the 2023-24 offer will match inflation, and we feel that pay rates in England are now too far behind those in Scotland and more needs to be done to close this gap.
Additionally, our 8a members in particular are disadvantaged by the offer.
Ultimately, the decision is for members to take so please engage with all the available information and place your vote during the consultation. We strongly recommend that you carefully read the offer.
The offer comprises a one-off bonus payment of between £1,655 and £3,789 for 2022-23, on top of the £1,400 already received.
In addition, members would receive a consolidated (permanent) pay rise of 5% in 2023-24.
The offer was secured after two weeks of negotiations between health unions and the UK government, which has previously refused to reopen the 2022-23 pay award and set a ceiling of 3.5% for next year.
Whilst referred to in the offer, the RCPod can confirm that a proposal to explore the possibility of a separate pay spine for nurses is not part of the formal offer – it is a commitment to enter into discussions. Our view is that any such discussions are ill-advised, and likely to encounter significant barriers that make the likelihood of a separate scale highly unlikely.
All members working in the NHS in England are encouraged to ensure their details are up to date to guarantee they receive a link to the online vote.
NHS pay in your area
The UK is split into four nations for NHS pay: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Each nation operates under varying systems of offers and negotiations. Separate arrangements exist in the Isle of Man for employees of Manx Care.
When an offer or pay award is received, members working for the NHS in the affected country are notified by email and via their workplace representatives and members are consulted on the offer. Notifications are also placed on all RCPod news pages and social media accounts. Frequently checking our news page is the best way to find out the latest news and information from the College. Please visit rcpod.org.uk/news.
To ensure that you receive our email updates, please make sure your member profile is up-to-date in your profile area on the members' area of the RCPod website, and that you check your registered email is up-to-date with us. If your membership profile is not up-to-date you may not be included in the consultation. If you do not currently receive our fortnightly newsletter and electronic updates, you will not receive them. Please contact us if you wish to start receiving email communications from us.