A NURSING union has warned that nurses are facing a “two-tier” payment system, with many staff not given the same pay rise as colleagues in other parts of the NHS.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) raised concerns today that the 6 per cent rise promised to nurses in the summer has not yet been awarded to all nursing staff who work in GP surgeries.

It warned that thousands of nurses in England “risk being denied the full 6 per cent pay rise that they were promised by the Westminster government.”

The union has written to health minister Neil O’Brien calling for him to confirm the pay rise and to ensure GP surgeries have enough money to give the pay award to their staff.

In her letter, Patricia Marquis, RCN’s director for England said: “Nursing staff in general practice provide vital primary care to their local communities and are the bedrock of the services available in general practice surgeries.

“There is already clear disparity between employment terms of nursing staff working in general practice compared to other parts of the NHS. 

“Now, their pay rise is months late, and for many, the money promised could be missing.

“The RCN is unequivocal that all nursing staff working in general practice should receive the same 6 per cent increase in pay as salaried GPs – as the government announced in July.

“Since that time it has become clear that this promised increase is at risk for many working in practices that will not receive the full funding.”

Ruth Rankine, director of the NHS Confederation’s primary care network, said: “Nurses in general practice play a vital role in providing care to patients, yet do not benefit from the same terms and conditions as their peers working in the wider NHS.

“If the government is serious about improving access to general practice and managing demand across the rest of the NHS, then it needs to reward general practice nurses fairly.

“While extra investment has been awarded to cover the pay increase for nurses on Agenda for Change contracts, this has not extended to primary care, which has created a two-tier payment model for the profession.”

The Department for Health and Social Care said that it is for GP practices to determine uplifts in pay for their employees.