We are approaching the end of 2025, and a year to be proud of for making the voice of our profession heard. With your help and support, we have been able to make real progress on some of the key areas for the profession.
As we move into December, we should all be looking forward to a festive period spent with loved ones - a chance to relax and reflect. And there is so much for us to be proud of. I very much hope that you get that opportunity but I know it can be a challenging time of year, especially as winter pressures mount where you work.
Looking back to the start of the year, our corridor care report in January documented your experiences and that of thousands of nursing staff – showing patients enduring care in inappropriate spaces. It was a crucial report for showing what is really happening across the country – and this made the right people stop and take notice leading to a national investigation by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB), which carries out independent patient safety investigations in England’s NHS and independent health care settings. We expect its findings to be published later this month.
But the Westminster government hasn't worked with anywhere near enough urgency to address the situation. Our new analysis shows that the has been a rise in 12-hour waits for hospital admission between July and September this year.
Shortly after our research was published, the Secretary of State was on LBC radio outlining his commitment to eradicate corridor care by the end of this Parliament. And we are ready to work with him and provide our expertise to fulfil that goal, but those discussions cannot wait any longer. They need to start now and we stand ready to build on the great work you have done in speaking up for our profession and your patients.
But we must remember the fight is not over - it’s important to continue to raise concerns so this is escalated in your workplaces. And you can find resources to help you do this in our raising concerns toolkit.
I’ve spent a lot of time this year talking about the value of nursing, and rightly so. Nursing is the backbone of health and care - the 24/7 presence delivering the vast majority of care in every setting. We are degree-educated, highly-skilled, and safety-critical. Nursing matters.
Yet the results of our latest employment survey show the profession continues to face significant challenges. While there are small signs of progress, our skills and expertise remain undervalued.
We heard pay fairness is your single biggest concern. Two-thirds of you believe your pay does not reflect the responsibilities, skills and risks you carry every day. But it also reinforces what we know - this isn’t just about salary – it’s about recognition and value. We know that the pay structure for our profession is outdated and needs long overdue reform.
These results come a decade on from the first time we ran the survey and it’s a worrying picture. But our challenge to governments across the UK is now to make the next 10 years better than the last, for nursing as a profession but crucially for patients too.
This week we also published our latest RCN Scotland State of the Profession report and the results show that while many nursing staff in Scotland still find deep personal satisfaction in your roles, there is a growing uncertainty about whether nursing will remain a fulfilling profession in the long-term. But the Scottish government has been given solutions by the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce and this is further proof that they cannot delay on making this much needed progress. So our ambitions are not new - but their importance and their need to be realised now are more urgent than ever.
When I started as General Secretary and Chief Executive of the RCN, I was clear the profession needed some hope. What I have learned more than anything else over the last 18 months is that the hope is here in all of us, with the strength of our collective voices. Together we are the voice of nursing.
It’s important we also take the time to reflect on what an amazing profession nursing is, especially when times are tough. The care we give and the lives we touch. The last few weeks have provided the opportunity to celebrate an important part of health and care services, with Nursing Support Workers’ Day, and the conference we held to celebrate their stories and their contribution.
It was a pleasure to hear so many powerful examples of what an absolutely essential part of the nursing team nursing support workers are – providing support in all areas of health and social care. Some much-needed cheer as we enter the winter months.
And, having recently attended the brilliant RCN Wales Nurse of the Year Awards in Cardiff, I will be returning next week for the RCN Wales Activism Conference and I am looking forward to conversations with our representatives. There’s a packed agenda including reflecting on our collective successes from 2025, something it’s so important to take the time to do.
In the coming weeks, I know you will go the extra mile for patients – trying to make this time of year special for those who are away from their loved ones – when all they want is to be at home. But I also hope you will be able to get some well-earned rest and relaxation with loved ones – as well as celebrating this festive season with colleagues.
