How Valued Are UK Nurses? Nurse Pay Compared Across Europe

First published for International Nurses Day, May 2021. The salary figures and pay campaign details below reflect that time.

It’s International Nurses Day on 12th May. Nursing salaries are a topic of discussion across the UK, with many fighting for a higher increase than the 1% that is being offered. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen nurses and the NHS more strained than ever, but we’ve also seen an outpouring of support for the public.

Lauren Philpott, writing for NHS Discount Offers, digs out the figures and asks the question: does the UK really value its NHS nurses?

From #clapforcarers to discounts for NHS, this has all been very gratefully received, but little compensation for the sights some of us have had to endure during the pandemic. These events have got a lot of us questioning just how valued our nurses in the UK really are.

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To become a nurse in the UK, you have to go to university and train for at least 3 years, for which at least 50% is practical placement (student nurses work on wards practically for free under the current funding for students) and receive a degree before you can begin the job. Nursing is a speciality, so I’m sure you can understand why there’s a call for us to receive higher pay.

How UK nurse pay compares across Europe

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) estimates that the average salary for a nurse in the UK is £33,312. As the table above shows, with the estimated salaries taken from the Economic Research Institute (ERI) and converted to Pounds Sterling based on the conversion rate at the time, the UK sits quite low down the list.

It is worth bearing in mind that the average salary doesn’t reflect the economic conditions in the countries themselves, however there is still a discrepancy to be seen.

Topping the table is Luxembourg, whose average salary for Registered Nurses is equivalent to £62,045, almost double the UK’s. Denmark follows, with an equivalent of £45,444 as the average pay for nurses, and Austria, Netherlands and Belgium have similar amounts, all around £37,000.

The RCN’s Fair Pay for Nursing Campaign is fighting for a 12.5% pay rise, which, based on the above figures and the average pay estimates, would put us on the same pay as Austria, Netherlands and Belgium.

A nurse’s view from the ward

A nurse in Kent, who wished to remain anonymous, commented:

“Nursing is a really difficult job, and it’s only getting harder. Knowing that we are having minimal pay rises each year while watching MPs and bankers getting massive bonuses really feels like a kick in the teeth; we feel undervalued, despite knowing how needed we really are.”

“Looking at the salaries of nurses elsewhere in Europe has surprised me, and I believe that these are much more appropriate for the job that we do. I believe that the government should consider these salaries when planning for an increase in the UK’s, and I know that my colleagues believe the same.”

“However, it’s not just about money; it’s about ensuring our wonderful nurses are able to stay at work and therefore keeping our patients safe. If nurses are struggling to make ends meet, then they are more likely to be off work due to stress or mental health problems, or they see that they can earn more elsewhere, and so leave the job altogether.”

“This means that we are losing nurses much faster than we are gaining them, and this has a scary knock-on effect on our ability to care for our patients safely. I’ve felt this fear countless times in my career, where I’ve had more patients to care for than I know is safe, and sometimes you have to leave one patient to attend to another.”

“This isn’t what nursing is about, and it’s simply not safe.”

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