Health Minister Steve Barclay has hinted at wage increases for health workers next year if they agree to sweeping reforms.
He promised a “constructive approach” to negotiations with union leaders, and also discussed “opportunities to increase productivity and efficiency.”
register Sunday TelegraphMr Barclay wrote: “I remain open to discussing with unions what the government can do to support the workforce and I look forward to speaking with unions to see how we reach agreements through an independent body to make rewards more available. where there are opportunities to improve productivity and efficiency.”
His comments come amid a series of strikes by nurses and ER workers over wages and working conditions over the past month, and threats of union action by trainee doctors in March as voting on possible strikes begins.
At the same time, the NHS is facing unprecedented winter pressure due to the Covid and flu ‘twindemic’.
The health minister said he invited unions to participate in discussions this week “to discuss what is fair and affordable before presenting evidence to an independent pay review body as part of our constructive approach.”
While acknowledging the “pressure on the system from Covid and flu hospitalizations” this winter and “inflation has made life difficult for the workforce,” he said discussions will focus on next year rather than this year’s salary.
“With less than three months left of this fiscal year, we need to move forward and have constructive discussions about what should be paid next year rather than backdating to payments due back in April,” he said. .
He added that he was “determined to talk about what we can do for pay next year and the many other improvements we need to make the NHS a better place to work.”
He stated that using the independent wage review process is “clearly the best way to do this” as “being stuck in wage negotiations with unions every winter would divert attention from other issues facing the NHS”.
The nurses are on strike on Wednesday, January 18 and Thursday, January 19, and this Wednesday the paramedics are on strike.
Barclay said he respected the freedom to strike, but said that it “must be balanced against the need to protect life and ensure the public gets the help they need.”
He described the current wave of strikes as “an unwelcome return to destruction” at a time when “we are trying to move the country forward, close the gap and recover from the pandemic.”
The government is “fully committed to not overlooking these issues,” he said, and the prime minister has made reducing NHS waiting lists one of his top five priorities for 2023.
One way the government hopes to improve productivity and efficiency, as well as reduce waiting times, is through the use of “virtual wards” it recently saw in action in Watford, where patients with respiratory conditions will be observed and treated from their homes.
He also talked about 42 new NHS health centers that are using live data to reduce wait times, such as using digital alerts to cut the time a bed is empty from nearly three hours to one hour.
And he said on Monday that he would announce further steps to increase hospital capacity “to solve people’s problems and move the country forward, and not get hung up on iterations with unions.”
In an interview with the BBC Sunday with Laura Kuensberg On the program, Rishi Sunak reaffirmed this stance regarding wage negotiations with healthcare workers.
“When it comes to pay, we have always said that we want to talk about things that are honest, affordable and responsible for the country,” he said.
“We are on the verge of starting a new round of wages this year, we are on the verge of starting this independent process and before this process starts the government wants to meet with the unions to negotiate collectively and make sure they understand that we represent ourselves. get from”.
Pat Cullen, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said she had a “spark of optimism” when she noticed a “slight shift” in the prime minister’s comments on Sunday.
However, she added: “This is not about tomorrow’s negotiations, not about the salary of nurses and not about issues that are our dispute, but about the salary for 2022/23.”
She will join the leadership of Unite, Unison and GMB and will take part in talks with Mr. Barclay on Monday.
Sarah Gorton, leader of the NHS union group and head of Unison’s health department, said the unions intend to “make it clear that the government must take action to end the current wage dispute” and talk about “what could happen to wages”. NHS in 2023.” / 24″ will not interfere with the strike next week or others planned for the end of this month.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.