Nurses to protest over pay outside Brighton hospital

Members of a nurses' union will campaign outside the Royal Sussex County Hospital today (Tuesday).

By The Newsroom

Published 27th Jun 2017, 08:00 BST

Updated 8th Jun 2018, 05:09 BST

Royal Sussex County Hospital (Photograph: Eddie Mitchell)

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said a seven-year pay freeze has led to a real terms pay cut of 14 per cent since 2010.

RCN members will meet at Royal Sussex County Hospital from 10am until 3pm to urge the government to ‘lift the cap and pay nurses a fair wage’.

Sylvia Simmons, RCN council member for the South East, said: “Nurses work tirelessly to treat and care for the sick, elderly and the vulnerable.

“It is a profession which has been undervalued for too long. We have members using foodbanks and who are struggling to make ends meet.

“Scrapping the cap is not only a just call, it is a practical one. We need to attract more people to the profession, ensure patient safety and give people an incentive to stay in the profession and end the recruitment crisis.”