The island’s nurses have been presented with a new pay offer from Manx Care before results of a previous offer ballot had been announced.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members had been surveying its members since October 10 on a revised pay offer of a further 2.75% consolidated uplift on the 6% already awarded for 2022/23.

The latest offer, which was brought to RCN last week, is a £1,500 consolidated offer with effect from April 1, 2022, in addition to the 6% increase already implemented.

Manx Care has confirmed that the previous offer members were surveyed on in October has been withdrawn as the employer required the whole of staff to agree the offer for the award to be applied.

As agreement could not be reached, the result of the previous survey is therefore void.

RCN is now surveying its members once again over the latest offer, with the consultative survey being open from midday on Monday, November 13 to midday on Monday, November 27.

Nurses were due to take two back-to-back days of strike action in October, but the action was paused while members had their say over a new formal offer.

This would have seen a total offer of 12.75% over two years.

Its members have protested on a number of occasions this year as part of a long-running dispute over fair pay and safer staffing levels, including two days of strike action.

However, the RCN was invited to talks alongside other unions where a further offer was discussed and a formal letter in writing confirming this offer arrived with the RCN last week.

RCN exclusively told the Manx Independent that the provisional dates for strike action if the original offer was declined would take place on Thursday, and Friday, November 16 and 17.

However with the unexpected new offer arriving from Manx Care, these have been postponed.

The original offer, which RCN learnt the results and were expected to announce this week, was a pay increase by 8.75% - 2.75% more than the original offer of 6% tabled by Manx Care for the 2022/2023 financial year.

A 4% pay increase put forward by the healthcare provider covering the 2021/2022 financial year remains unchanged.

A representative for RCN had admitted the vote could go ‘either way’ with the original offer.

Estephanie Dunn, regional director for the RCN in the North West, commented on the latest offer.

She said: ‘We are pleased to have been invited back to the negotiating table again after further talks with our staff side colleagues.

‘There is no doubt that our strike action prompted Manx Care to open up talks but other unions joining our fight has also piled on the pressure.

‘We stand stronger together.

'However, it will be down to our members to decide if the latest offer is proof enough to believe that the Manx government are investing in not only the current nursing workforce, but the sustainable future of nursing and safe patient care on the Isle of Man.’

The union has repeatedly insisted that if this latest offer is declined by its members it will be returning to the picket line to strike for a better deal.

While RCN members fill in their ballot forms again, results are likely to be released next month.