Discontent is once again rippling through the heart of the UK’s healthcare system as nurses in England look set to reject the government’s latest pay offer, a move that could lead to further NHS disruption. While initial strike ballots showed majority support for industrial action, turnout has fallen short of the legally mandated 50 per cent threshold needed to authorise a full walkout.
This setback may delay but not necessarily prevent future unrest, with some unions indicating that another round of voting could be pursued. The news comes amid a fresh five-day strike by resident doctors in England, previously referred to as junior doctors, following a collapse in pay negotiations with the British Medical Association.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting acknowledged that disruption to NHS services is a pressing concern, but claimed the government is doing what it can to keep the impact on patients to a minimum. Still, confidence in the system appears to be waning.
Persistent pay disparity fuels discontent
The pay offer for nurses this year stands at just 3.6 per cent, falling below inflation and trailing significantly behind deals offered to other public sector workers. Teachers, armed forces personnel, prison officers and doctors have all secured larger settlements, leading to accusations that nurses are being systematically undervalued despite their critical contributions to the health service.
Over the past three years, nurses have now rejected three consecutive government pay offers: 5 per cent in 2023–24, 5.5 per cent last year, and now 3.6 per cent for 2025. The mounting sense of frustration follows a historic period in the winter of 2022–23, when nurses staged four two-day strikes — the first such action in NHS history.
While Scotland’s nurses accepted a two-year 8 per cent deal, maintaining their status as the best-paid in the UK, many in England feel left behind. The latest developments point to a growing pay divide across the devolved nations, with consequences for staff recruitment, morale, and retention.
Mounting vacancies and recruitment crisis
The UK’s health system is currently grappling with over 26,000 unfilled nursing positions, while student recruitment numbers are in freefall and resignations among experienced staff are described as “skyrocketing.” Sector insiders warn that without urgent and meaningful intervention, the crisis in staffing levels will continue to spiral.
Nurses have raised long-standing concerns over not only pay but also unsafe working conditions, lack of progression opportunities, and the emotional toll of trying to meet patient needs in a system that is visibly straining at the seams.
A senior nurse speaking anonymously stated:
“We are tired of being seen as expendable. The pay offers do not match the reality of our workloads or the complexity of the care we deliver daily.”
The Workers Union: advocating without disruption
At The Workers Union, we understand the pressures currently faced by healthcare professionals. We continue to promote a constructive, non-strike-based approach to tackling the systemic issues within the NHS. Our no-strike policy ensures that essential services are not disrupted, whilst still allowing our members’ voices to be heard through meaningful dialogue and policy engagement.
As the landscape changes, our message remains clear: solutions to the NHS crisis will not be found through conflict, but through cooperation, innovation, and a fundamental rethinking of how we value the workforce at the heart of public health.
We call for a renewed effort from all stakeholders to address staffing shortages, restore professional dignity, and deliver pay structures that reflect the realities of life on the NHS frontlines. The time for patchwork solutions has passed — the UK needs a strategic plan that puts healthcare workers at the centre.
