The government is likely to face a fresh outbreak of industrial unrest if, as expected, the government accepts a well-below inflation pay rise for NHS workers, unions and professional groups have warned.
Even if there are no strikes over a pay offer at around the expected 3% level, some said another cut in real-terms pay coupled with staff shortages and the legacy of Covid could simply prompt an exodus of workers, with one official calling the situation “a perfect storm for the NHS”.
While the NHS Pay Review Body’s (PRB) final recommendation is not yet known, sources have said the offer for staff in England is likely to be about 3%. Awards in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are decided by devolved governments.
Full story in The Guardian, 23 June 2022