Nurses could stage more hospital strikes just months after the Government warned NHS staff they could face below-inflation pay rises next year.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins told the independent NHS Pay Review Commission that the system should be “affordable” by 2024-25.
NHS unions see the wording as a sign that the government wants the pay review body to keep costs low, suggesting it will recommend below-inflation pay rises when the report is published in May.
Pat Cullen, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), has warned both the Conservatives and Labor that they could face “major strikes by nurses” in an election year unless their members receive a higher pay offer.
The GMB union, which represents ambulance workers, said Ms Atkins’ letter showed the pay review body was not truly independent.
The RCN was among a number of health groups that staged week-long strikes last winter, causing major disruption to hospitals and emergency services.
Ministers then proposed a backdated bonus of between £1,250 and £1,600 for 2022-23 and a 5% pay rise for most staff for 2023-24, doubling the NHS pay review body’s original offer.
The collective agreement was negotiated separately from negotiations between doctors’ union the British Medical Association, which remains at odds with the government and is in the middle of a three-day strike.
In a letter to Stephen Boyle, interim chair of the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB), which sets staffing levels, Ms Atkins said: “I am writing to you now to formally launch the pay review for 2024-25 and ask the NHSPRB to provide agendas” for the April 2024 workforce change recommendations.
“I ask you to make recommendations in accordance with your mandate and look forward to your report in May 2024.
“It is vital that pay review panels consider the historical nature of pay for the period 2023 to 2024 and the Government’s position on affordability, which is further set out in the documentary evidence.”
Ms Cullen said: “This letter arrived very late and confirms that the next award will also be late.”
“Nurses have received the lowest pay in the public sector in 2023/24 – we end the year in a formal dispute with ministers, pushing for a pay rise to tackle the NHS staffing crisis.”
“Once again, the so-called independent process is clipped when the Minister of Health writes about the need to reduce costs. By cutting NHS pay, their predecessors exacerbated nursing shortages and declining standards of care.
“The new approach must be to invest in nurses as part of our commitment to patient safety. Repeating the mistakes of recent years will increase the likelihood of further strike action.
“Two-thirds of the population would support the start of strikes by medical staff over wages in 2024. Our pay dispute with the government remains unresolved and the RCN is advising all our members working in NHS England on what they can prepare for the new year.
“In an election year, no political party can be confident that it can prevent further nurses’ strikes.”
Rachel Harrison, GMB national secretary, said: “The GMB has repeatedly said that we will not engage with the NHS Pay Review Body process until it is fundamentally reformed.”
“It is a travesty to pretend that the PRB is truly independent when the ministry has tied its hands so tightly before it has even considered the evidence.
“With ministers attacking the rights of ambulance and NHS workers to strike and fight for better pay, a truly independent PRB has never been more important.”
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.