Recommendation 18

HEE acknowledged that there were global differences in nursing salaries, alongside other structural and market differences, with other countries having more leeway in what they can pay than the UK. More generally, NHSE&I accept that pay remains “an important 37 Prime Minister’s Office, Press Release – Prime Minister backs NHS staff with £5,000 annual payment for nursing students, December 2019; C&AG’s Report, para 11 38 Q 33; C&AG’s Report para 3.10 39 Q 39 40 Q 43 41 Q 20 42 C&AG’s Report paras 8, 2.20 43 Q 59; C&AG’s Report para 7 44 Q 55 45 Q 53 NHS nursing workforce 13 issue with regard to nurses”, and that the lack of pay rises in previous years had impacted on the retention of NHS nurses.46 In a Royal College of Nursing survey of their members, in July 2020, pay was the most common reason given for nurses to consider leaving the profession, while around three-quarters of nurses said that improved pay would make them feel more valued.47