THE Government continues to erode nursing pay. Despite the one per cent pay rise awarded by the Government earlier this year, nurses’ pay has dropped to approximately 14 per cent further behind the cost of living than it was at the time David Cameron came to power in 2010.

Recently announcing its decision to keep nursing on the shortage occupation list following lobbying by the Royal College of Nursing, the Migration Advisory Committee said: “The restraint on nurses’ pay instituted by the Government was presented to us, and in the evidence to the pay review bodies, as an immutable fact. It is not. It is a choice.”

We do not have enough nursing staff to give the care our patients need, in no small part because nursing staff are not valued by this government. It’s just not good enough, which is why we’re asking members of the public to support the RCN’s campaign for fair pay for nursing staff.

If you would like to show your support for fair pay for nurses, please either visit www.rcn.org.uk/nursingcounts or tweet @Jeremy_Hunt directly using the hashtag #nursingcounts.

Let’s tell the Government that they need to value nursing staff more. Thousands of nursing staff across the South West region are dedicated to caring for you, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, whatever your illness or condition. Please show your support for us.

53 RCN Members, South West region including Gary Edmunds, Registered Nurse, Stoke-sub-Hamdon, Somerset, Sue Greenwood, Registered Nurse, St Day, Cornwall, Charles Conibear, Registered Nurse, Exeter, Devon, Nic White, Registered Nurse, Plymouth, Devon, Michael Jones, Health Care Assistant, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, Siobhan Warne, Registered Nurse, Taunton, Somerset, Ann Little, Registered Nurse, Dorchester, Dorset, Steve Dunne-Howells, Senior Health Care Assistant, Peasdown St John, BATH, Kathy Lawrie, Registered Mental Health Nurse, Exmouth, Devon, Liz Wilson, Registered Nurse, Weymouth, Dorset, Vicky Brotherton, Registered Nurse, Plymouth Devon, Tabitha Stewart, Registered Nurse, Bath, BJ Waltho, Registered Nurse, Bournemouth, Dorset, Ann Wood, Registered Nurse, Chippenham, Matthew Tranter, Mental Health Support Worker, Poole, Dorset, Sarah Latham, Registered Nurse, Swindon, Lynn Kilner, Registered Nurse, Plymouth, Devon, Hilary Fenton-Harris, Registered Nurse, Wareham, Dorset, Jemma Williamson, Registered Nurse, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, Wendy Powell, Registered Nurse, Taunton, Somerset, Linda Hosken, Registered Nurse, Truro, Cornwall, Louise Harvey, Registered Nurse, Torquay, Devon, Lesley Pallett, Registered Nurse, St Austell, Cornwall, Margaret North, Registered Nurse, Camborne, Cornwall, Teresa Donaldson, Registered Nurse, Salisbury, Donna Carr-Howland, Registered Nurse, Torbay, Devon, Debbie Luker, Registered Nurse, Bideford, Devon, Lyndsey Box, Registered Nurse, Plymouth, Devon, Dee McEvoy, Registered Nurse, Tiverton, Devon, Trish Porter, Registered Nurse, Brixham, Devon, Nando Rossi, Registered Nurse, Devizes, Susie Milton, Registered Nurse, Weston Super Mare, Somerset, Debbie Bond, Registered Nurse, Bath, Nesta Ashworth, Registered Nurse, Bristol, Kim Lilley, Registered Nurse, Bath, Kristina Rees, Registered Nurse, Salisbury, Malcolm Chalk, Registered Nurse, Weston Super Mare, Somerset, Dawn Cooper, Registered Nurse, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, Lindsey Cardwell, Assistant Practitioner, Christine Lamplough, Registered Nurse, Exeter Devon, Scott Jenkin, Registered Nurse, Truro, Cornwall, Judith Barry, Registered Nurse, Taunton, Somerset, Penny Mannings, Registered Nurse, Bristol, Terri Butcher, Registered Nurse, Liskeard, Cornwall, Kate Rimmer, Registered Nurse, Weston Super Mare, Somerset, Julie Preece, Registered Nurse, Plymouth, Devon, Margaret Richie, Registered Nurse, Torquay, Devon, Jeannette Jones, Registered Nurse, Bristol, Alison Purkiss, Registered Nurse, Barnstable, Devon, Lisa Crooks, Registered Nurse, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, Andy Rives-Roberts, Registered Nurse, Exmouth, Devon, Guy Martindale, Registered Nurse, Torbay, Devon, Steve Grundy, Registered Nurse, Yeovil, Somerset,