Practice nurses need a fair deal too

It is a pleasure to introduce myself as the new editor of Practice Nursing. I am looking forward to building on the stellar work of my predecessor Kelly Nickalls, who proved to be a tireless advocate of practice nurses, as well as continuing to collaborate closely with editor-in-chief Debbie Brown, the driving force behind the journal.

As I send my first issue of Practice Nursing to the printers, the nursing world is in turmoil, with a second wave of historic strike action on the horizon. A group of unions representing NHS staff has voted to accept a pay offer from the Government, but division remains.

Unison, GMB, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists and the Royal College of Midwives were among those who supported the 5% pay offer, plus a cash top up. However, The Royal College of Nursing and Unite voted against the deal, with RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen warning that industrial action on behalf of nurses could ‘go on for years.’ Health Secretary Steve Barclay says he now plans to impose the deal on all of those on the Agenda for Change pay scale.