NURSES are being left behind on pay progression, with a lack of consistent career development costing lives, money and the future of the profession, a damning new study has warned.

The Left Behind report by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), released this week, found that too many nurses remain stuck at entry-level pay for years, despite often working at a higher level.

The union warned this is damaging staff morale, patient care and the long-term sustainability of the NHS.

Across Britain, large numbers of nurses are employed at band five, the grade newly registered nurses start on.

In England and Wales, 44 per cent of nurses are at band five, rising to 53 per cent in Scotland.

Nurses are more than twice as likely as allied health professionals to remain at this level, the report found.

In Scotland, a review of band five nursing roles was agreed as part of the 2023-24 Agenda for Change pay deal.

And RCN said the review is already delivering results, with most nurses who have received an outcome being successfully re-banded.

The union is calling on all governments to build on this progress by reforming pay structures so nurses can progress more fairly and quickly, starting with band five to six.

RCN general secretary Professor Nicola Ranger said: “This evidence paints a frustrating picture of stalled careers, inequities and missed opportunities.

“Nursing is stuck in a bottleneck, with staff waiting years for progression while their responsibilities grow daily.”

During a recent health and social care select committee session, Health Secretary Wes Streeting referenced the RCN’s report and said Prof Ranger had been “banging the drum really hard” on the issue.

He said he was “looking at the band five-six issue.”

RCN said his remarks underline the weight the union’s evidence carries at the highest levels of government.

More than 56,000 nurses in England have remained at band five for over seven years, about one in seven of the workforce.

RCN said these nurses are 17 per cent more likely to leave NHS services than those at band six.

The report also highlighted inequalities, with nurses from Asian or black backgrounds twice as likely to be at band five compared with white colleagues.

Prof Ranger said career progression was “not just a professional issue, but a moral one,” adding: “The message is clear: nurses should not be left behind.”