A Fond Farewell

After over 40 years in nursing, including 15 with the RCN, I finally take my retirement at the end of this month. How much has changed in the profession in that time and yet how much has stayed the same. 

When I began my career as a trainee nurse at just 17, the role was almost exclusively the preserve of women. New recruits received bursaries or a salary and free accommodation to enable them to train. Nursing was seen as a stable and desirable career path, one that was both fulfilling and challenging. I doubt few would argue that the challenges remain, but from the ever-decreasing number of applicants choosing nursing, coupled with an enormous surge in those who leave within five years of joining, it is clear the appeal of a career in the profession is at an extremely low ebb. Undeniably, the system for the recruitment and retention of nurses is broken and needs immediate and urgent attention from our government. 

The RCN’s decision this year, in tandem with Unison and Unite, to refuse to engage with the Pay Review Body’s (PRB) process and instead call upon the government to negotiate pay for the coming year directly with the unions, is a significant step. The overly bureaucratic, painfully slow process of submitting evidence to back up our position could and should be done away with in favour of meaningful direct dialogue and I would urge you all to support our stance on this by writing to your local MP and asking them to back our calls. Our open letter is available here, ready to sign.

As previously mentioned, when I began nursing, it was largely seen as ‘woman’s work’ and there was little recognition for the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). Nowadays, EDI is a cornerstone of all good employers’ policies, though all too often a policy can prove to be words only and the deeds tell another story. 

I am proud of the work that the RCN does in this area, working with employers to actively encourage and live the carefully worded policies that they create and challenging discrimination in all its forms whenever and however called upon so to do.  We know that our focus must be sustained to build on the progress we continue to make.

Our recent regional Black History Month (BHM) event, which I was enormously disappointed to miss through illness, continued our series on the importance of active ‘anti-racism’. This year, we explored the topic of ‘Anti-Racism: A Public Health Solution’. From the Windrush Generation to the trailblazing Michelle Cox, nurses from black or minority ethnic backgrounds have some truly inspirational role models to look up to and our North-West Multicultural Group continues to champion the very many talented and dedicated nurses, Nursing Support Workers, and student nurses who seek to advance the EDI agenda. 

One ongoing area of focus for our Multicultural Nursing Group is around the lived experience of our internationally recruited members working in independent health and social care and the NHS. Delegates recently met with the Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, to raise our concerns, inviting Unison and the Royal College of Midwives to join the meeting to raise the matter on behalf of their members also. A further meeting has been planned for the new year and I will watch on with interest from the sidelines to see what progress can be made. 

There have been many notable victories won and campaigns run by the RCN and its members throughout my 15-year career here, but one of the most memorable periods was, without doubt, the couple of months of industrial action over pay that our members voted for and participated in back in 2022/23. It was truly heart-warming and inspiring to see the passion with which so many of our members employed by the NHS took to the streets to advocate for their profession and for their patients. I felt terribly proud of our North-West members in that moment for the way in which they conducted themselves and the level of support they, and we, received from the wider communities spoke to the depth of public sentiment that nursing is a safety critical profession that must be protected. 

Regional members on the Isle of Man also took industrial action for the first time last year and, following a pay offer from employer Manx Care early last month, we recently closed a survey of members on the island on the acceptability of this offer. Of those who voted, a majority chose to reject the 4% pay rise offered and our Board and the local branch will now contemplate our next steps. Watch this space and as ever, I wish you every success in your fight for decent pay. This is central to a robust recruitment and retention strategy. 

As I prepare to embark upon new adventures in my retirement, I wish to recognise the support that both we as an organisation and I, on a more personal level, have received from leaders across all health and social care sectors in the North-West. Your willingness to engage with me and with the RCN has enabled us to network effectively and to support the policy, nursing and service-user agenda and I thank you for it. 

Before I sign off, I would like to acknowledge the incredible team that I work with here at the RCN and especially those in the North-West region. It is no exaggeration when I say that we have an exceptionally dedicated and capable team here in the region and I shall miss the great many friends I have found here along the way. While I am now officially retired, I remain involved on a part-time basis until the end of December to provide cover until a new Regional Director is appointed in the new year. I have no doubt that I will be leaving you all in the most capable of hands. 

For those who celebrate the festive season, I wish you all joy. Here’s to bright new horizons for us all in the year to come.