Underpaid nurses cost lives, according to the Royal College of Nursing.

Its general secretary Christine Hancock was at Barnet General Hospital last week to celebrate international nurses day.

"People know that satisfied, good nurses are likely to make a difference to patients," she said.

"The research says that if nurses have some autonomy through their work and through feeling their professional judgement gets recognised, then you can have a real difference to outcomes."

She quoted American research into so-called "magnet" hospitals which did best at attracting and maintaining their staff. It says those that did best at keeping nurses happy also had significantly lower mortality rates.

"We should be saying we are not going to accept low standards. It is a crime to accept nurses with 20 years experience at the top of E-grade earning £16,000 per year."

If the size of the smile on your carer's face does affect your chances of surviving a major operation, then it's not great news that the NHS currently has trouble filling 8,000 nursing posts. Despite positive noises from New Labour and a White Paper which promises more responsibility for nurses, there was nothing from them to hearten nurses on the pivotal issue of pay.

"The message was 'we value you -- almost'," said Ms Hancock.

"To pay the nurses' pay award in full last year would have cost another £84million. Another £500million has gone into the health service quite easily. So we are not talking about a great deal of money."

With the Chancellor determined to keep a tight rein on public sector pay awards, there is a danger people will no longer say 'you don't go into your nursing for the money'. They will just say 'you don't go into nursing' instead.

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