RCN Member Support Services are free, confidential services for Royal College of Nursing members: counselling, a welfare service, a careers service, immigration advice and a peer support group. To reach the RCN advice team, call 0345 772 6100 or use the online enquiry form. The services sit within RCN membership, so you need to be a member to use them.
Key facts
- Who can use the services
- RCN members. Nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants, assistant practitioners and students can join the RCN.
- Cost
- Free to members, as part of RCN membership
- How to contact
- RCN advice team on 0345 772 6100, or the online enquiry form
- Advice line hours
- 8.30am to 8pm on weekdays and 9am to 4pm at weekends. Reduced hours on bank holidays.
- Covers
- RCN members. The services page sets no limit by UK nation.
What RCN Member Support Services include
- Counselling. Support with personal or work-related problems such as stress or the breakdown of a relationship.
- Welfare service. Advice on benefits, debt and housing.
- Careers service. Help with CVs, interview preparation and career planning. To book a careers appointment, call 0345 772 6100.
- Immigration advice. Confidential support for RCN members already living in the UK.
- Peer support. A group where members give and receive support on health and disability issues.
The RCN says members get free, confidential advice, representation and support with issues at home and at work. The member support services cover the home side. For problems at work, including representation, go to the RCN advice team.
How to contact the RCN advice team
Call 0345 772 6100. The advice team answers from 8.30am to 8pm on weekdays and from 9am to 4pm at weekends, with shorter hours on bank holidays. For a written enquiry, the RCN website starts you on a short questionnaire which leads to the right online form. Queries outside the listed topics go through the form marked "other". Membership questions have a separate form.
Have your RCN membership number, your employer, your job title and a short summary of the problem ready before you call. If your question is about a workplace dispute, write down key dates and keep copies of letters and emails. Our guide on keeping safe records explains what to keep.
When RCN member support helps most
Say a healthcare assistant on a medical ward has fallen behind on rent after a period of sick leave on reduced pay. The welfare service can look at benefits and debt, while the counselling service helps with the stress. If the sick pay itself looks wrong, the advice team is the place to ask. One union, three kinds of help.
A nurse recruited from overseas who wants to change employer might start with immigration advice, then use the careers service for interview practice. Read our guide for international healthcare professionals before you call.
Who RCN member support does not cover
The services are framed as a membership benefit. The RCN website does not publish a non-member option for counselling, welfare or careers help. If you are not a member, or your problem started before you joined, ask the RCN directly what help is open to you.
Other services suit people outside RCN membership:
- NHS staff in England with a mental health or addiction problem: NHS Practitioner Health, free and confidential.
- NHS and social care staff in Wales: Canopi. New therapy referrals there are paused from 21 September 2026, and self-referrals continue.
- Any healthcare worker wanting a free online peer group: Doctors in Distress, open to nurses and midwives as well as doctors.
- Free employment advice for anyone: Acas in England, Scotland and Wales, or the Labour Relations Agency in Northern Ireland.
- Debt and benefits help for anyone: Citizens Advice.
The nurses hub collects our guides on unsafe workload, raising concerns and patient aggression.
If you are struggling right now
The RCN advice line is not an emergency service. If you are in immediate danger, call 999. In England, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option. Samaritans answer free on 116 123 at any hour. See our urgent support page for each UK nation.
Common questions
What is the RCN advice phone number?
Call 0345 772 6100. The advice team answers from 8.30am to 8pm on weekdays and 9am to 4pm at weekends, with reduced hours on bank holidays.
Does the RCN offer free counselling?
Yes, for members. RCN counselling covers personal and work-related problems such as stress or relationship breakdown, and is free and confidential.
Can I use RCN member support if I am not a member?
The RCN presents these services as a membership benefit and does not publish a non-member option. Contact the RCN to check, or use free services such as NHS Practitioner Health, Canopi or Citizens Advice.
Who can join the RCN?
The RCN says nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants, assistant practitioners and students can join.
Does the RCN help with debt and benefits?
Yes. The RCN welfare service gives members advice on benefits, debt and housing.