Justice Secretary Robert Buckland says he hopes NHS staff get ‘appropriate’ pay rise after 1% anger

Nurses offered an ‘insulting’ 1 per cent pay rise offer from ministers were in line for an increase of more than double that before the pandemic struck, the head of the NHS in England admitted today. 

Sir Simon Stevens told MPs that financial plans laid out in 2018 and 2019 allowed for a 2.1 per cent increase in salaries, but admitted that ‘things have changed’.

The Department of Health has suggested a 1 per cent raise to the independent pay review body, sparking fury from medical unions and threats of strike action after a year fighting coronavirus. 

Ministers have previously argued that the initial headline offer was all that could be afforded following the massive hit to the public finances caused by the pandemic at a time when most public sector workers were facing a pay freeze. 

But facing the Health and Social Care Committee today, Sir Simon said the money had been there previously for a larger raise.

‘Obviously, that was approaching two years ago, so things have changed,’ he said.

‘But as you say, at the time, the working assumption was that there would be available 2.1 per cent for the costs of the agenda for change pay group in 2022, together with the overhang from the 2021 elements of the multi year agenda for change pay deals.’

Labour leapt on the remarks, with shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth saying: ‘The head of the NHS has confirmed what we already knew: the Conservatives have broken their promise to the NHS and are cutting nurses’ pay.’

But it came as a senior minister signalled that the Government could up their offer, amid the backlash.   

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said he hoped that nurses get an ‘appropriate’ pay increase as he faced the media this morning. 

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said he hoped that nurses get an ‘appropriate’ pay increase as he faced the media.

Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive at NHS England and NHS Improvement, urged people to allow the system set up to rule on pay to run its course.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast today, Mr Buckland said: ‘The final recommendations have not yet been made.

‘We have got to remember that in large other swathes of the public sector there will be a pay freeze save for the lowest paid. I don’t think at the moment we are at the end of this process.

‘I think that we need to see what the recommendations are, and I very much hope that the outcome – whilst it might not be an outcome in these difficult circumstances that will result in pay rises that everybody would want to see – that the work that has been done by NHS workers will be recognised in a way that is appropriate, bearing in mind the constraints we are all under.

‘It is not for me to start to prejudge what the outcome of the negotiations is. I am simply pointing out that we are at the beginning of that process and we will have to see what the recommendations are.’

Last night Matt Hancock faced the fury of MPs over the proposed 1 per cent pay rise for nurses by sending his deputy to the Commons in his place.

Labour had demanded the Health Secretary answer an urgent question, but Mr Hancock sent Social Care Minister Helen Whately in his place to answer questions from MPs about an offer that has been branded ‘insulting’. 

Sir Simon also urged people to allow the system set up to rule on pay to run its course. The Royal College of Nursing has announced it is setting up a £35million fund for industrial action, while Unite said it is considering balloting members about striking.   

‘You would expect the head of the health service to want to see properly rewarded NHS staff, particularly given everything that the service has been through over the course of the last year,’ Sir Simon said.

‘And so I think the right way to resolve this is the path the Government has actually set out which is to ask the independent pay review bodies to look at all of the evidence… and be able to independently make a fair recommendation so that NHS staff get the pay and reward that they deserve.’

He added that frontline staff being properly rewarded is ‘entirely right’. 

He was asked by Labour MP Barbara Keeley whether there has been consideration for a bonus to be paid to NHS staff when he gave evidence at the Commons Health and Social Care Committee on the health and social care white paper.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already said that nurses in Scotland will receive a £500 bonus, and the Prime Minister’s official spokesman yesterday refused to rule out a similar move in England.   

Sir Simon responded: ‘That needs to be seen in the context of the overall judgments that the Government will make on NHS pay in the round.

‘And I agree with you that coming out of the past year and everything that NHS staff have been through, proper recognition for that is entirely right.

‘And that goes with the grain of what the public want to see, none of which is to ignore the broader economic context facing the country.

‘As the head of the NHS, I’m wanting to make sure that staff get proper reward and not only support through that mechanism, but also fundamentally what staff want to see are a broader range of measures including further increases in the workforce to deal with some of the intense workforce pressures.’