NHS pay review body branded 'outdated' as unions asked for feedback
Posted 14 June 2023 - 13:07
NHS pay body exists in a vacuum, no longer works and risks disastrous repeat of pay disputes, Barclay is told
Health unions have been invited to give feedback on the NHS Pay Review Body in a ‘long overdue’ move to address pay concerns in the health service.
Health and social care secretary Steve Barclay has written an open letter to NHS staff thanking them for their ‘vital work’ as the government begins to implement non-pay elements of the recent pay deal.
Part of the deal was a review of the RB process, which unions have called unfit for purpose. Mr Barclay asked NHS leaders and unions to share their views on how the RB can operate more effectively, including timings of the pay round and the appointment process of members.
Barclay says seeking unions’ views delivers on a key commitment made in the pay deal
Mr Barclay wrote: ‘Today I have invited those organisations who currently participate in the current pay-setting process to share their views on the RB process, delivering on a key commitment agreed as part of the deal.’
It comes as members of RCN Congress last month voted to leave the RB process, calling it unfit for purpose.
Mr Barclay also pledged to work with NHS England, the NHS Staff Council and NHS Providers to begin implementing the non-pay related parts of the pay offer, which was accepted overall by trade unions representing Agenda for Change staff but rejected by Unite and the RCN.
Commitments from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) include strategies to boost the welfare and retention of NHS staff, improve opportunities for nursing career progression, review safe staffing guidance and reduce spending on agency workers.
Responding to the letter, Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said the RB ‘belonged to a different time, existing in a vacuum that no longer works’.
Ms McAnea added: ‘Without fundamental change, the government risks sleepwalking into a disastrous repeat of the shambolic way ministers handled the two most recent pay rounds.
A more modern approach to setting pay in the NHS is long overdue, says union
‘A more relevant, modern approach to setting pay in the NHS is long overdue. Pay and staffing issues must be considered together. Wages are the critical lever governments should pull to keep hold of enough experienced staff to deliver quality patient care, prevent staff burnout and attract new recruits.’
Ms McAnea said: ‘Pay should not be considered in isolation. The review body process has not kept up with devolution either. It's been unable to prevent NHS staff in Northern Ireland being left behind in the last two pay rounds.’
‘Thousands of NHS workers had to go on strike this year, losing wages they could ill afford because the pay-setting process isn't fit for purpose.’
In other news