NURSING leaders are warning the failure to pay hospital staff a fair pay rise could trigger a brain drain after a survey showed 42 per cent of student nurses in the North-East and Cumbria said they would consider working abroad.

The survey by the Royal College of Nursing also found 82 per cent of student nurses in the region said they were angry about the Government’s decision not to give nurses the one per cent pay rise recommended by an independent review board.

Another 75 per cent said they agreed that the Government’s decision on pay made them feel undervalued and unappreciated while 65 per cent felt that, compared to trainee workers in the non-public sector, nurses were “poorly rewarded” in terms of pay, pensions and annual leave.

The RCN Northern region said the effective pay cut was forcing many student nurses to reconsider working in the NHS.

Peta Clark, operations manager for the RCN Northern region said: “The results of the RCN’s survey shows that nursing students are feeling disheartened and unvalued by the current government’s outrageous and unfair policy on NHS pay.”

She said NHS trusts across the North-East were struggling to recruit and retain nursing staff but because of the Government’s refusal to pay a cost of living increase for nurses and health care assistants there was now “a very real possibility” of many of our current student nurses leaving the country to work abroad where pay, terms and conditions are superior.

She pointed out that Canada and Australia are currently recruiting nurses from the UK.

The RCN official urged the Government to “get a grip” to prevent a student nurse brain drain.