Nursing officials are set to meet with the government to kick off “intensive talks” to end strikes amid a bitter dispute over pay.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has agreed to pause major strike action while engaging in talks over “pay, terms and conditions, and productivity enhancing reforms”.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay is due to meet with RCN representatives on Wednesday.
RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said on Tuesday evening she is “confident” about reaching an agreement over pay for nurses.
They can put their plans on the table but I’m confident that we will come out with a fair pay settlement for our nursing staff— Pat Cullen, Royal College of Nursing
She told Sky News: “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 agreement about a fair pay deal for our nursing staff.
“The finer detail has to be worked out but I’m very assured by the Prime Minister’s intervention, and we certainly will, as we’ve always said, put our plans on the table.
“They can put their plans on the table but I’m confident that we will come out with a fair pay settlement for our nursing staff.”
Ms Cullen added: “I’m entering this in good faith, I think this is a significant step forward, every nurse in England today can breathe a sigh of relief and, more importantly, our patients can.
“So, let’s get round the table tomorrow, I’m very confident with the move from Government and certainly we will do our very best to make sure that a fair pay deal is obtained for all of our nursing.”
The next industrial action pencilled in for nurses was on March 1 when they had planned to strike continuously for 48 hours.
The action would have also included nursing staff from emergency departments, intensive care units, cancer care and other services that were previously exempted.
A joint statement from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Royal College of Nursing said: “The Government and Royal College of Nursing 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 United Kingdom 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.”
It comes as the department submitted its evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body for the 2023/24 financial year.
Officials said a 3.5% pay rise for staff would be affordable for the UK Government.
Unite said the Government’s proposal on NHS pay will accelerate a spring of strikes across the health service.
General secretary Sharon Graham said “This has to be some sort of sick joke. On the day when figures show that the country can well afford to meet NHS workers’ pay expectations, the Government is trying to force another year of wage cuts into the NHS.
“This will only accelerate a spring of NHS strikes. This Government either does not care about our NHS, its staff and patients, or has a more sinister future in mind for the service.”
However, the Financial Times has reported the Government is looking at a possible 5% pay rise for public sector workers after the Treasury was given an unexpected £30bn windfall.
The Treasury suggested in a private memo, seen by the FT, public sector awards of up to 5% for 2023-24 would carry a “low risk” of setting a benchmark for protracted high private sector pay growth.
Elsewhere, the British Medical Association (BMA) is meeting with Department of Health and Social Care officials on Wednesday after junior doctor members had voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking industrial action.
It is understood that Mr Barclay will not be in attendance.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Dr Rob Laurenson, co-chair of the BMA’s Junior Doctors’ committee, said: “For a meeting of this significance to go ahead without the minister in charge shows how little attention this Government continues to afford to doctors and their patients.”
It comes as Education Secretary Gillian Keegan wrote to teaching unions inviting them to “formal talks on pay, conditions and reform” on the condition that strike action next week is cancelled.
The Department for Education said it hopes to find a “fair and reasonable settlement” in a bid to resolve a pay dispute which threatens more walkouts in England and Wales in the coming weeks.
Although this was welcomed by education groups, the National Education Union (NEU) said “there is nothing substantial” in the letter to suggest planned strikes next week should be called off.
Regional walkouts by NEU members are planned for February 28, March 1 and March 2 – with national strike action planned for March 15 and March 16.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: “We are willing to talk at any time but there is nothing substantial in the Secretary of State’s letter that suggests to us we should call off strikes for next week.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “We welcome the invitation to intensive talks with the Department for Education over the coming days in an attempt to resolve this dispute.
“We fully expect discussions on pay to be central to those meetings and a fair offer will be key to moving beyond the polite discussions so far to a point where we can hope for tangible progress towards an agreement.”
Commenting on the announcement of Government pay talks with some unions, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “At long last it appears the Government is edging towards the table after months of dragging their feet.
“It has always been down to them to resolve these disputes.
“But we won’t accept the Conservatives taking a pick’n’mix approach to pay or playing divide and rule with public-sector workers.
“They must confirm they will seriously negotiate with every union in dispute, without preconditions. Everyone who keeps our public services running deserves a fair deal on pay.”
