Josie Irwin

Head of Employment Relations

Royal College of Nursing

Context: employment issues• Pay freeze• NHS Pay Review Body• Attacks on public sector pensions• Budget/job cuts• Increasing competitive tendering• Attacks on AfC• Skill mix reviews• Attacks on TU facilities• Employer action on sickness and capability• Productivity• Fragmentation

More context - working lives2009 Employment Survey

– 44% consider pay not appropriate for role– 61% said workload was too heavy– 54% too busy to give the care they’d like to– 55% under too much pressure– 55% said staffing inadequate – 42% said short staffing compromises patient care once or

twice per week– Increase in job moves due to stress 31% (23% 07)– CPD about the same as 2007 but this was a big drop from

previous years; 61% had appraisal– Nurses in the NHS feel less valued

Staff Side responses• Engagement with DH re pay & pensions• Engagement with Hutton review• Campaigning to protect jobs – Frontline First• Exchanging information• Partnership - kept the SPF (England), embed

locally• Developing approach to productivity• Strengthened Staff Council

RCN responses

• Frontline first• MRC task & finish group on pay strategy• Redundancy Q&A and info template• Module 3 bespoke CPD workshops• Prioritise recruitment and retention of reps

Challenges

• Information and communication• Possible tensions between unions• ‘Gung ho’ managers• Managing expectations• Public opinion