Free hot drinks could be offered to striking nurses instead of better pay in a move dubbed “patronising tea and sympathy”.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay will reportedly offer perks to striking nurses - such as free coffee, breakfasts and parking - in an attempt to show he understands anger over working conditions.
Mr Barclay repeated comments saying his “door is open” to resume talks with the Royal College of Nursing about working conditions but not pay.
Speaking at a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, Mr Barclay said: “The priority for me is to continue the dialogue with the trade unions, with the RCN - I’ve been extremely clear that my door is open.
“They have raised a range of issues, not just pay, but also about working conditions, patient safety. And so I’m very happy to continue that dialogue with the RCN.”
It follows reports that armed forces personnel could drive ambulances and stand in for frontline hospital roles under contingency plans being prepared by the Ministry of Defence.
Mr Barclay said he has not formally contacted the military about stepping in to assist the NHS during walkouts, but officials will consider a “range of options”.
An RCN spokesperson said: “When the Government would rather send for the military than negotiate with nurses, their priorities are seriously amiss.
“Today’s reports of striking nurses to be offered hot drinks by the minister shows this has become a patronising case of ‘tea and sympathy’.”
Mr Barclay later attended Downing Street for a meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and NHS leaders including NHS England boss Amanda Pritchard.
The Ministry of Defence is reportedly assessing which armed forces personnel could step in amid expected walk-outs from nurses, paramedics, porters and junior doctors.
It follows a decade of below inflation pay awards for NHS staff and a 4-5% deal this year well below RPI inflation of 12.6%.
The army can be called in only when a “civil authority lacks the capability to fulfil the task and it would be unreasonable or too expensive to expect one to be developed”.
There is already a record NHS treatment backlog of 7.1 million appointments in England alone and deadly delays in emergency care.
The Times reported that the Treasury is “not countenancing” new pay negotiations as Government is expected to blame striking carers for growing NHS backlogs this winter.
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Ministers plan to wait for public sentiment to turn against striking nurses as the toll of disruption mounts over winter.
“The Conservatives don’t have a plan to fix the NHS, so instead they’re letting strikes go ahead and blaming nurses. It is outrageous and dangerous.
“Patients need a government that is willing to negotiate an end to these strikes. The Conservatives are more interested in playing the blame game than fixing the problem.
“This is not a game and it is patients who will pay the price.”
The Royal College of Nursing said last week members across England, Wales and Northern Ireland plan to strike on December 15 and 20.
A ballot of more than 15,000 ambulance workers in England and Wales who are members of the GMB will close tomorrow, with the results likely to be announced this week.
Paramedics, cleaners, porters, pharmacy technicians and administrative staff are among more than 300,000 healthcare workers in the GMB trade union whose strike ballot closed on Friday.
Midwives are holding a ballot for industrial action and junior doctors have said they will vote on a strike early next year.
A Government spokesman said: “We hugely value the hard work of all NHS staff and we are doing what we can to help ease pressures put on the health and care system as result of winter and Covid.
“We are working with the NHS on a range of options to manage disruption to health and care services during industrial action.
“ Hospitals will do everything they can to ensure patients and the public are kept safe, however planned appointments may need to be cancelled and emergency care prioritised to those in need of urgent care only.”
