The money for the NHS pay agreement isn’t new cash, I’m told. This is going to cause a real ruckus with the trade unions, who came away from today’s talks believing that the £2.5 billion deal was extra money from the Treasury. But talking to my sources in government, I now understand that while there won’t be cuts to frontline services, the money could come from efficiencies elsewhere in the NHS, or possible underspend in Department of Health and Social Care budgets.
I’’ve also been pointed to the fact that there was no new money for pay announced in yesterday’s Budget, even though there might be some forthcoming in future fiscal events. A government spokesperson says: ‘We are absolutely committed to ensure the NHS has the funding it needs and these pay rises won’t impact on frontline services or the quality of care that patients receive.
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