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Barclay aims to end nurses’ strikes by promising fast-track future deal

Health secretary wants nurses to accept current offer and call off strikes in return for promise of a faster pay deal next year
Health and social care secretary Steve Barclay

Health secretary wants nurses to accept current offer and call off strikes in return for promise of a faster pay deal next year

Health and social care secretary Steve Barclay
Health and social care secretary Steve Barclay Picture: Alamy

Health and social care secretary Steve Barclay could fast-track next year’s NHS pay deal in a bid to prevent further nurses’ strikes.

Mr Barclay told NHS workers on Wednesday that they could ‘look forward’ to next year’s pay deal, instead of contesting the current offer of £1,400.

According to the Daily Telegraph, a source close to the health secretary said he was keen to avoid the 2023-24 pay offer dragging on for months as in previous years, as nurses, ambulance staff and other NHS workers staged walkouts this week.

Findings on this year’s pay recommendations were delayed until July

This year the NHS Pay Review Body (RB) gave its recommendation to the government in May after former health and social care secretary Sajid Javid asked them to consider the 2022-23 pay award in November 2021, but the findings were not announced by the government until July.

The Telegraph quoted a source as saying: ‘Steve is very keen for this to go ahead at pace and not be dragged out as it has been in the past.’

Picket line at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham
Picket line at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham Picture: Alison Stacey

Yesterday the RCN said it will announce further strike dates for January by the end of the week unless the government agrees to talk to it about pay.

Meanwhile nurses in Scotland have voted to reject a pay offer of around 8%, with 82% of RCN members who took part in a ballot voting to not accept.

The government has so far insisted it will honour the RB’s recommendations, but it is coming under increasing pressure to talk to unions as hospitals and ambulance services struggle to cope with acute winter demand.

NHS Providers says staff ‘feeling helpless’ and urges government to enter into talks

NHS Providers interim chief executive Saffron Cordery said despite best efforts by trust leaders, staff had been left ‘feeling helpless’ by the impact on patient care and urged the government to enter into serious talks with unions.

She said: ‘Trust leaders and their teams have done everything in their power to ensure patients receive safe care, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so.

‘They do of course understand how strongly nurses and ambulance staff feel and why below-inflation pay awards against a backdrop of the rising cost of living, severe staff shortages and ever-increasing workloads have brought them to take strike action this week.

‘They are once again reiterating their call for urgent, serious talks – including on pay – between health ministers and unions to avert more strikes in the future.’


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