Working for change

On 5 July, we woke up to the beginnings of a new government. At the general election, the Labour Party secured a landslide majority of MPs in Parliament and, in this region, Labour now holds 43 of the 54 Parliamentary constituencies. The remaining seats are split between the Conservatives (9), the Liberal Democrats (1) and an Independent. 

Regardless of which party you voted for, the RCN will be working on your behalf to call on the new government to address the 12 nursing priorities outlined in our general election manifesto. 

So far, we’ve written a letter to new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on behalf of more than 500,000 RCN members. In it, we’ve asked the new Prime Minister to meet with us at the earliest opportunity to discuss the priorities for nursing and show that, as the RCN, we are strong partners in finding the solutions to today’s crisis.

In the coming weeks and months, we will begin the process of engaging with new and returning MPs across the region. Our members and activists will have a critically important part to play in this work. If you want to get more involved with the RCN’s work, and perhaps even shape the future of nursing, I’d encourage you to consider becoming an RCN rep, Board or Council member.

Among our demands, the new government must:

• Deliver fair pay for nursing. This means committing to building constructive relationships with trade unions so that the late NHS pay award for 2024/25 is delivered quickly and nursing staff in the independent sector receive fair pay and equal working conditions. 

• Make patient safety a priority. Forced reporting of corridor care must begin immediately. Without clear reporting, the health and care system will continue to hide patients suffering from unsafe and undignified care. 

• Stand by their word. Within the first 100 days of the new government, the Prime Minister must stand by his word to repeal legislation that restricts the right to strike and launch a sector-wide investigation into exploitation in social care.  

We’ve also demanded urgent intervention from the new government to stop the NHS England Long Term Workforce Plan falling further off track, after a recent RCN survey found that nearly half of nursing students in England could quit before they finish their courses.

And we want to hear from you: why not come along to an upcoming branch meeting or learning event to make sure your voice is heard at the RCN? Your views will help shape our engagement activity and our work in pressing the new government for the urgent change that’s needed.

As ever, we also want to hear about any nursing achievements you’ve had, so please get in touch with your stories. And we’ve love to see you at one of our regional events: I’ll be heading to Leeds Pride this weekend, where colleagues and members will be marching for LGBTQ+ equality.

I also wanted to thank all members for their support and involvement in the Yorkshire and Humber region; your time is invaluable to us, and we appreciate everything that you do.