#nhs-reform

#nhs-reform

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

A survey of Royal College of Nursing members showed 91% did not think the 3.6% pay increase this year was enough. The RCN warned there was widespread dissatisfaction with the NHS contract, known as Agenda for Change. Nurses begin on band five, with a starting salary of just over 31,000, after this year's pay rise. Nearly half of nurses are on this bottom band and research shows many struggle to move on from it.

Many Independent readers are cautiously weighing Labour's 10-year NHS plan against the past, revealing a divide in trust regarding funding and implementation.

We talked about public spending. I think we need to shrink welfare but in a controlled manner that benefits people and gets them back into work.

The NHS will shift a huge amount of care from hospitals into new community health centres to bring treatment closer to people's homes and cut waiting times.