Rishi Sunak sparked a “chink of optimism” about a possible pay boost for NHS workers as the prime minister signalled a willingness to address higher pay demands for the first time.
The PM’s remarks on being “happy” to discuss improved NHS pay came ahead of a crucial meeting between Steve Barclay and health unions, whose leaders will demand that the health secretary engages on the current pay dispute.
Some union leaders expressed cautious optimism after Mr Sunak said the government was “open” to discussing the pay of nurses and ambulance staff.
Unison head of health Sara Gorton said: “Health workers will be hoping the prime minister’s comments mean the talks [on Monday] can go beyond hearing solely about the pay review body evidence for the year from April.” The 2023-24 pay review process is set to start in April.
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) chief Pat Cullen said that Mr Sunak’s comments offered a “chink of optimism” that strikes set to start in mid-January could still be avoided, with his comments representing a “little shift”.
However, Unite’s Sharon Graham said Mr Sunak was “misleading” the British public about the “so-called pay talks”. She insisted that until the PM accepted “the need to make real progress on the current pay claim, there will still be strikes across the NHS this winter”.
The GMB union poured cold water on the idea of a breakthrough, saying it was clear Mr Barclay was not willing to engage in negotiations on Monday. “Just 45 minutes to talk is an insult,” said a union spokesperson. “The government isn’t serious about resolving this dispute and is indulging in a box ticking exercise.”
Mr Sunak refused to categorically rule out looking again at this year’s pay deal for nurses and ambulance workers ahead of talks during an interview with BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, saying he wanted a “reasonable, honest, two-way conversation about pay”.
Asked by the presenter whether talks could include the pay dispute “right here, right now”, the prime minister replied: “We want to have these conversations.”
But Mr Sunak also added: “We’re about to start a new pay settlement round for this year [2023-4]. Before that process starts, the government is keen to sit down with the unions and talk about pay and make sure they understand where we’re coming from.”
A source close to the health secretary told The Independent that he would not be discussing the current pay dispute on Monday. “Steve wants to look forward to the coming year ahead. It’s a chance for the unions to set out what they think is affordable in the current circumstances.”
In an opinion article for The Telegraph, Mr Barclay hinted that striking NHS staff could be offered a better pay deal from April – if union leaders accept “productivity and efficiency” reforms in return.
Thousands of junior doctors in England will start voting on Monday on whether to strike for three days in March. Nurses are already set to strike on 18 and 19 January, while ambulance staff will walk out on 11 and 23 January.
The showdown talks with union bosses come as Mr Barclay announces an extra £200m in funding to buy up thousands of extra care home beds in a bid to ease current pressure on hospitals.
The extra money for integrated care boards, on top of the £500m discharge fund announced in the autumn statement, is aiming at freeing up hospital beds so people can be admitted more quickly from A&E to wards.
Mr Sunak came under fire again over his handling of current NHS woes after refusing to accept that the health service was in crisis, despite acknowledging it was under “enormous pressure”.
In an awkward exchange, the prime minister refused three times to tell Ms Kuenssberg whether he uses a private GP – insisting the issue is a “distraction from the things that really matter”.
Ms Cullen said Mr Sunak should to “come clean” about the matter. “He is accountable to the public – and when you’re accountable to the public you have to be honest with them,” she told the BBC.
Mr Sunak said he was “confident” that steps could be taken to discharge patients more quickly. He also said he was confident that within just a few months, the government would have “practically eliminated” waiting times of over 18 months.
But Professor Clive Kay, chief executive of King’s College Hospital, asked if it sounded like the prime minister understands the gravity of the crisis facing the health service, said: “No, if I’m honest.”
Professor Kay told BBC: “I don’t think I heard [the PM] grasp the fact that this is a really, really difficult situation … The suggestion that it’s going to be a quick fix, a sticking plaster, it’s not a reality.”
Labour leader Starmer warned that the NHS is “not just on its knees, it’s on its face”, as he criticised the government’s record on waiting lists and failure to engage with unions on current pay demands ahead of strikes. “It’s a badge of shame for the government that it’s come to this.”
Also on Monday, education secretary Gillian Keegan will meet teaching unions to discuss next year’s pay review ahead of potential strike action hitting schools. Strike ballot results are due this week from the NASUWT, National Education Union and National Association of Head Teachers.
Transport secretary Mark Harper is expected to meet RMT and Aslef rail union leaders to talk about the process to resolve their pay dispute with employers on Monday.
