Pay, terms and conditions in Independent Health and Social Care employers

The RCN believes all Independent Health and Social Care (IHSC) employers need to have a pay system that is competitive with the NHS. While some are based on NHS structures, many are set independently and in some instances pay rates are dictated by commissioners’ budgets. Pay rates are often lower and for health care assistants are usually set at the national minimum wage or a few pence above it. 

A pay claim can be used as a mechanism to facilitate discussions with an employer on the wider aspects of pay and increased benefits in employment terms and conditions. If the matter is shared by a group of nursing staff then a claim should be taken forward collectively. Collective issues are generally more successful when most or all staff are united in a common purpose. Therefore, it’s important to speak to colleagues one by one and as a group to establish key issues and the general strength of feeling. The RCN can help set up a members meeting and in making a pay claim. Contact RCN Direct for more information.

Read our 'Eight simple tips' to help you prepare and work with colleagues to approach your employer about improving your pay, terms and conditions.  These tips include downloading and using our editable RCN Request a Pay Rise Template Letter and a simple one page RCN Short Pay Survey, as preparation, before contacting your employer.  You may find it useful to refer to the latest figures on inflation, the National Minimum Wage and  the Living Wage:

References:
Office for National Statistics inflation figures
The National Minimum Wage
The Living Wage 

Further reading

Staffing for Safe and Effective Care: State of the nation’s labour nursing market 2022 

RCN Submission to the NHS Pay Review Body: 2022/23 Pay Round

Joint staff-side union Pay Review Body submission 2022/23