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The media has continued, yet again, to focus on RCN Congress. Today’s main story was the publication of a survey of learning disability nurses. The survey found that nurses have "real concerns" about the safety of their clients because of cuts in services, such as health education and personal care packages. The story was covered extensively in the Guardian, who published both a full page feature and a news story, as well as by Press Association and Independent i.

Day three of Congress has seen the media continuing to focus heavily on events in Harrogate, particularly looking at the keynote speeches.

The Royal College of Nursing congress continues today and continues to make headlines. Our story outlining potential losses of more than 60000 NHS posts has received widespread coverage across print, online and broadcast media. An RCN survey found that community services were struggling to meet the demands placed on them, rendering plans to move care from acute hospitals to the community were a "facade”.

Another year, another congress and it’s certainly been a lively start with the RCN receiving extensive coverage in today’s papers. We published details of a new survey which found that patients are being placed on hospital trolleys for hours on end and treated in corridors and make shift wards.

New joint NHS trade unions guidance has been published to help RCN activists resist local proposals to cut NHS pay, terms and conditions. Staff in some foundation trusts in England are facing what appears to be a co-ordinated attempt to make changes to Agenda for Change (AfC) contracts, including threats to dismiss and re-engage staff on new terms and conditions if the unions do not agree to negotiate.

The Royal College of Nursing reiterated its call for the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB) to reject outright any proposals to introduce local pay bargaining, as the Department of Health submitted its evidence. The RCN’s Chief Executive & General Secretary, Dr Peter Carter, said the College believes local pay will risk competition between trusts for staff, drive pay down in certain areas and risk lasting damage to staff morale and motivation.

The Royal College of Nursing has conducted its own all member vote on pensions and is now currently meeting other unions who are at varying stages in their own member consultations to discuss next steps. The decision to continue engagement with other trade unions was taken by the RCN Council following the end of the member vote in February.

The Royal College of Nursing has joined other unions to warn that a move to local pay for NHS staff would lead to damaging competition, entrench low pay in certain areas and further erode staff morale. In a joint submission to the NHS Pay Review Body, the NHS staff side has called for the retention of national pay scales. The submission warns that abandoning national pay, following on from pensions negotiations and a two-year pay freeze, will be seen as a further attack on pay, terms and conditions. The report also states that modelling public sector pay on private sector structures will be difficult, costly and inefficient, as well as replicating inequalities found in the private sector.

The nation’s media continues to focus heavily on the Government’s Health and Social Care Bill, with the RCN at the very heart of the debate. Last Friday evening, it was revealed that Downing Street would be holding a meeting on Monday to discuss the NHS reforms and possible ways forward. However, the RCN, along with other organisations such as the BMA and RCGPs, who opposed the bill, did not receive an invite to the meeting.

The Royal College of Nursing has today launched a new tool that may help RCN members decide which way they wish to vote on the Government’s NHS pensions proposals. The pensions forecaster will help members understand the Government’s complex plans which could affect members of the scheme in different ways.

The Royal College of Nursing is today (30 January) sending out voting papers asking members whether they want to accept or reject the Government’s NHS pension proposals. All RCN members, apart from those already retired, are urged to use their vote, ahead of the deadline of 4pm on 27 February.

Writing in the Guardian today, Dr Peter Carter announced that the RCN has now moved to oppose the Health and Social Care bill because: “our concerns have not been listened to and the genuine anxieties we have on behalf of patients in England have been, to a large extent, ignored.”

The RCN today (19 January) moved to oppose the Health and Social Care Bill in England, arguing that serious concerns expressed by members have not been addressed during the parliamentary process, listening exercise or political engagement. The RCN, which had not previously opposed the bill as a whole, has taken the decision at this point arguing that the proposals will not deliver on the principles originally set out, and that recent announcements, such as the rise in the cap on private patients being treated in NHS hospitals, make the bill in its entirety a serious threat to the NHS.

Today the RCN announced the timetable for the members’ vote in which they will decide whether they wish to accept or reject the Government’s ‘final’ pensions proposals. All RCN members, apart from those who are currently retired, will receive voting papers in the week beginning January 30 2012 with the closing date for returns being 4pm on 27 February 2012.

All RCN members will have the opportunity to vote on whether to accept or reject the Government’s "final" proposals for the NHS pension scheme. The announcement was made today following a meeting of RCN Council.

The Government has announced its ‘final position’ on new NHS pension arrangements from 2015. Read our latest briefing for more information.

Significant steps have now been made in the negotiations between the Government and unions on public sector pensions. The RCN has been at the heart of these negotiations; standing up for members, representing your views and communicating these with the Government.

When we look back on 2011, we'll remember a year in which nursing faced some monumental challenges; cuts to the frontline, attacks on your pension and controversial reforms to the NHS. However, despite the difficulties, I firmly believe that at this time of year you have the right to celebrate your achievements and remember what incredible work you do each and every day.

There’s not really a day goes by at the moment when the issue of pensions, be it public sector or state pensions, isn’t in the press.

RCN members up and down the country will be supporting today's Day of Action in protest against planned changes to public sector pensions. Members will be showing their support for fair pensions by attending marches, demonstrations and protests during their breaks and outside work hours. RCN Chief Executive Dr Peter Carter will be visiting several events. If current pensions negotiations fail by the end of December, the RCN's governing Council will meet in January to authorise a ballot on industrial action.