Scottish Government Pledges Pay Rise for NHS Nurses
The Scottish Government has stepped up with a significant NHS Scotland pay proposal, aiming to secure the loyalty and morale of nurses and tens of thousands of other public health staff at a time when living costs keep climbing. Health Secretary Neil Gray confirmed a two-year pay offer, which starts with a 4.25% increase from April 2025 and is followed by a further 3.75% rise the year after. But that’s not all—the deal builds in an inflation guarantee, so annual pay bumps won’t fall below one percentage point above the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the year. If inflation jumps unexpectedly, the pay deal promises not to leave nurses behind.
The government’s pitch is clear: keep Scotland in the lead when it comes to NHS nurse and staff salaries anywhere in the UK. In fact, Gray says Scotland’s nurses already enjoy the best pay compared to their colleagues south of the border. This new offer, backed by £701 million in government funds, would cover roughly 170,000 Agenda for Change staff—essentially everyone from nurses and midwives to support workers. The increase isn’t just for the future either; payments are set to be backdated to the start of the 2025/26 financial year, ensuring that staff don’t miss out on any earnings due to delays in agreement.
Union Response and Member Consultation
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing. The talks ran past the April deadline that usually sets the next year’s NHS pay, sparking frustrations from groups like the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland. For many nurses, missing the annual pay review date felt like yet another hit at a time when food, fuel, and housing bills show no signs of easing. RCN leaders openly criticized the government’s slowness, pointing to mounting anxiety among members struggling with daily expenses.
Now, union leaders are putting the new offer to their members. Unison, one of the largest health unions in the country, has gone public with its advice: they’re backing the deal and suggesting staff accept it. For nurses represented by the RCN and midwives under the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), the message is more reserved—they want members to have their say first. Both the RCN and RCM are urging their members to ensure their contact details are up to date so they can participate fully in the consultation and share feedback before reaching any decision.
For NHS staff from Glasgow to Aberdeen, the choice is a tough one. Is this enough to help them keep pace with inflation and rising bills? Or is it simply the best deal the Scottish health service can stretch to right now as it faces budget pressures of its own? Either way, the next few weeks will be decisive. The outcome of these union consultations will set the tone not just for wages, but perhaps for the future of NHS recruitment and workforce morale across Scotland.