LONDON. As the government proposes a 2.4% NHS pay rise for 2027–28, unions and MPs warn that nurses in general practice may not get even that.
Why GP nurses miss out
- GP practices are independent contractors, so each practice decides its own staff pay. The government “expects” practices to pass on pay rises but cannot make them.
- Extra money goes into the practice’s global sum and is not ringfenced for nurses.
- Most practices do not offer Agenda for Change terms, so nurses also get less sick pay, maternity pay and study time.
The evidence
- In an early 2025 RCN survey, only 20% of GP nurses had received the full 2024–25 rise given to other NHS staff.
- In the RCN’s 2026 survey, 29.7% of practice-employed nurses in England had not received a promised pay rise.
- For 2026–27, GPs themselves were recommended a 3.5% uplift, and the government added a 1% top-up to the GP contract.
What’s being demanded
RCN England’s executive director Patricia Marquis wants ringfenced funding so GP nursing staff get at least Agenda for Change pay and terms. Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper MP asked whether GP nurses could be brought into Agenda for Change. Health minister Dame Diana Johnson did not answer either question directly. The DHSC says talks on reforming Agenda for Change have begun.
Thinking about a GP nurse job?
- Ask in writing whether the practice matches Agenda for Change and passes on national pay rises.
- Check sick pay, maternity pay, NHS pension and protected study time.
- International nurses: make sure the salary meets your visa threshold every year.
Source: Nursing Times (21 October 2026).