The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has threatened to ballot its members on industrial action if the government fails to reach an agreement on investment in the profession over the summer. It comes after members of the union rejected a 3.6% pay increase for 2025/26 in England. Nurses feel "deeply undervalued," said Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the RCN. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the government "hugely" values the work of nurses, but