Mr. Steve Barclay, Boris Johnson’s health secretary, tells Trevor Phillips that he had a “very constructive meeting this week” with RCN union president Pat Cullen.
Asked if the doors are open to meeting the RCN’s demand for a 10% pay rise or more, Mr Barclay says the existing pay offer from the government should be enough: “What Pat [Cullen] said at the time the deal went to members was exactly the same as what I said and what the rest of the NHS staff council said, which was it was a fair and final settlement.”
He says the pay offer recognises the “huge, valuable contribution” of NHS staff.
He also says it is not “legally possible” to give a bespoke deal to NHS staff on different pay bands, which he says is what the RCN is asking.
But pushed on whether the government would go back to the negotiating table, Mr Barclay says: “Not on the amount of pay.”
He says there is “further work” to be done with NHS unions around pensions, pay progression, and tackling violence against staff, but he says that the pay offer was accepted by other unions, and therefore will be implemented.
He said a long-promised long-term NHS workforce plan will be brought forward soon – but did not commit to a date.
“It is a complex piece of work. It’s right we take our time to get it as it should be, but we will bring that out very soon.”