The nursing and ambulance strikes may soon be over. Ministers have this afternoon agreed a pay deal with trade unions representing nurses and ambulance workers that consists of a one-off payment covering 2022/23, and a pay deal for the 2023/24 year.
Members of these unions will get 2 per cent of their salary for 2022/23, on top of the 4 per cent raise for this year, along with a one-off ‘NHS backlog bonus’ worth at least £1,250 per worker. Then for 2023/24, there will be a 5 per cent consolidated increase in pay.
A statement from the government said: ‘Both sides believe it represents a fair and reasonable settlement that acknowledges the dedication of NHS staff, while acknowledging the wider economic pressures currently facing the UK.’
The GMB’s national secretary Rachel Harrison called the offer ‘far from perfect, and of course our NHS workers deserve more’, but nonetheless called on her union’s members to accept the deal.
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