Nurses tonight suspended strikes and announced new pay talks with Government in a dramatic development in the bitter NHS industrial dispute.
The move could pave the way for an improved pay offer for hundreds of thousands of nurses but blindsided unions representing other NHS workers, which labelled it a “tawdry backroom deal”.
“Intensive talks” will start on Wednesday and the Royal College of Nursing will pause its planned 48-hour walk out on March 1 while they are ongoing.
The Department of Health and Social Care tonight issued a joint statement with the RCN saying that the talks would focus on "pay, terms and conditions, and productivity enhancing reforms".
Agenda for Change (AfC) is the national pay system for all NHS staff, with the exception of Doctors, Dentists and most Senior Managers.
There are fears among other NHS staff that the Tories plan to split nurses from the NHS collective bargaining unit and offer them a bespoke pay boost while ignoring the rest.
The statement said: “The Government and RCN have agreed to enter a process of intensive talks.
“Both sides are committed to finding a fair and reasonable settlement that recognises the vital role that nurses and nursing play in the National Health Service and the wider economic pressures facing the UK and the Prime Minister’s priority to halve inflation.
“The talks will focus on pay, terms and conditions, and productivity enhancing reforms.
“The Health Secretary will meet with the Royal College of Nursing on Wednesday to begin talks. The Royal College of Nursing will pause strike action during these talks.”
The talks are understood to include the current 2023/23 financial year for which the Government granted a 4% pay award, despite inflation being over 10%.
Until now, ministers had refused to entertain the subject of improved pay for this year and insisted unions focus on 2023/24.
RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen said: “We’re very pleased to say that the Government has agreed to enter into a period of intensive talks with the Royal College of Nursing.
“I’m confident that we will be able to reach an agreement about a fair pay deal for our nursing staff.”
The RCN’s next industrial action was planned from March 1, continuously for 48 hours for the first time.
The action would have also included nursing staff from emergency departments, intensive care units, cancer care and other services that were previously exempted.
Until now the RCN had been coordinating action with other NHS unions.
The GMB union, which represents NHS staff from porters to paramedics, has further national ambulance strikes pencilled in for March 6 and 20.
Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said: “This backroom deal with some sections of the workforce is a tawdry example of ministers playing divide and rule politics with people’s lives.
She added: “Ambulance workers - and others across the NHS including cleaners, porters and care workers - who are the backbone of the health service deserve better.
“Ministers have no intentions of recognising the true value of the entire workforce.
“It’s a disgrace and will do nothing to end GMB’s NHS and ambulance strikes.”
Other NHS unions striking include Unison, Unite, the Royal College of Midwives and the British Medical Association.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: "My letter to the Prime Minister on Friday made clear the deep concern that NHS leaders were expressing about the escalating dispute between the government and NHS trade unions and its impact on patients.
“This included putting at risk the delivery of the Government’s own ambition, which NHS leaders share, to reduce waiting lists.
"NHS leaders will therefore welcome the Prime Minister and Secretary of State instigating meaningful discussions with the RCN and that strikes will be suspended while talks take place.
“This is a very positive step forward after weeks of inaction. They will hope that similar discussions can take place with all other trade unions too.”
*Education Secretary Gillian Keegan last night offered to hold talks with the National Education Union on teachers' pay if they agree to call off strikes planned for next week.
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting tweeted: "Had the Government agreed to these talks two months ago, they could have prevented 140,000 appointments being cancelled as a result of strike action.
"Patients will never forgive the Conservatives for dragging their heels and using patients as bargaining chips."
Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive at NHS Providers, which represents hospital bosses, said: “Trust leaders will be breathing a sigh of relief that the government and the RCN are finally coming round the table to talk about pay, and that the imminent nurses strikes are now on hold.
“For these talks to end in a resolution, any agreed settlement will need to pass a vote by RCN members. Hopefully, it can pave the way for similar negotiations with other unions planning strikes."
UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: "Pay talks with all health unions representing striking NHS workers must happen now. Meeting with one union alone will do nothing to solve the dispute. Ministers need to start behaving like grown-ups and up their game substantially.”
