Healthcare spending surged during the pandemic but fell in 2022, according to the OECD. Nurses' pay remains a contentious issue, highlighted by the OECD's 'Health at a Glance 2023' report amidst the cost-of-living crisis.

In 2021, most nurses in Europe earned above their national average wage, yet in the UK, they earned less. Real-term wages rose in most countries before the pandemic but dropped in the UK among others. Europe witnessed increased strikes for nurses' pay in recent years, with more action forecasted in the UK and Italy.

Salaries ranged from around €872 monthly in Turkey to €8,989 in Luxembourg. The UK lagged behind several nations, with gross earnings of €3,419 per month. When adjusted for cost-of-living with PPP, disparities remained, with Luxembourg's nurses having nearly quadruple the pay of those in Lithuania and Latvia. Central and Eastern European countries paid the least, prompting migration within the EU.

In 15 out of 25 European countries, nurses' salaries outpaced average wages, but in the UK, they were less. Salaries increased in most parts of Europe when adjusting for inflation, especially in Central and Eastern EU states, but decreased in five nations, including the UK.

The UK's nurses saw nominal income rises but a real-term decline over a decade due to public pay policies. Temporary COVID-19 bonuses slightly improved wages yet remained outside regular pay. These bonuses, while acknowledging nurses' critical pandemic role, did not lead to permanent wage increases.