Steve Barclay ‘concedes’ he will have to increase NHS pay offer to avoid strikes

Health secretary Steve Barclay has privately conceded that he will have to offer a higher pay rise to NHS staff.

Mr Barclay has admitted that more than one million NHS staff members deserve more money despite previously insisting that existing pay increases were all the government could afford.

But, he also made clear that any new pay rises would come from the current health budget meaning potential cuts to key services, according to The Guardian.

His U-turn comes in advance of nurses in England staging two more strikes next week, which is likely to force hospitals to again work at a reduced capacity following previous industrial action.

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Source: The Independent, 13 January 2023