Health Secretary Steve Barclay keen to focus on next year's NHS pay deal

Ambulance workers staged a walkout on Wednesday

Health Secretary Steve Barclay would like to ensure the process for deciding next year's pay deal for NHS staff in England is not dragged out.

Sources close to Mr Barclay say he wants no delay in getting pay levels set for the year from April 2023.

But the unions say strikes are about this year's pay offer, which Mr Barclay is refusing to negotiate on.

They are urging him to do "the sensible, grown-up thing" and talk about pay now.

Unions have also questioned the independence of the pay review body, arguing it is appointed by the government, which sets the parameters of the review, including the NHS budget.

The GMB union, which represents some ambulance workers, has said it will not engage with the process next year.

The UK is facing a wave of strike action over pay, including by nurses and ambulance workers, who have both walked out for one day this week.

• A&Es braced for influx of post-strike patients

• Why are nurses and ambulance staff striking?

• Are pay review bodies completely independent?

A recommendation from the pay review body would usually come in April, with any pay rise being implemented from August.

Mr Barclay's desire for the process not to be dragged out was first reported by the Telegraph.

Sources close to the health secretary said sometimes it could take time for NHS staff to see the benefit of any pay rise in their wages.

They said he would seek to encourage those involved in the process to ensure this did not happen.

However, they stressed that Mr Barclay was not in control of the process and its timing, with the pay review body, the unions and other parts of government also playing a role.

Sara Gorton, head of health at the Unison union, said the pay review process was "no longer delivering for NHS staff or the government" and called for "direct talks with ministers" over pay.

She said NHS staff in England and Wales had to wait until September to get a pay rise which was due in April and accused the government of deliberately holding back the review's findings until after the increase was due.

A GMB spokesperson said: "The government needs to talk pay now - not kick the can down the road into an already discredited process."

In a letter to the chairwoman of the NHS Pay Review body in November, Mr Barclay said the government was hoping to "expediate the process as much as possible" for the coming year.

If the body did report earlier next year, Matthew Taylor, head of the NHS Confederation, which represents the healthcare system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said this could help make negotiations easier.

At that point he said the situation could be "more benign", with inflation hopefully coming down.

While he said this would not help the current dispute, Mr Taylor told the BBC: "Next year, the situation could be better. So can the government and the trade unions find some kind of compromise to avoid further industrial action this winter?"

The NHS pay review body takes evidence from government departments, unions and experts before making a recommendation, which is not legally binding.

Martin Williams, who used to lead the Office of Manpower Economics, a part of the civil service which feeds into the pay review bodies, said the government could speed up the process by producing evidence promptly and publishing the body's recommendations more quickly.

Nurses also took strike action earlier this week

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is calling for a 19% pay rise, which it says would make up for years of real-terms pay cuts.

Ambulance unions also want pay increases to keep up with the rising cost of living but have not asked for a specific figure.

Inflation, the rate at which prices rise, is currently 10.7% - a near 40-year high.

But no UK nation has offered NHS pay increases at this level, with ministers arguing this would be unaffordable and make inflation worse.

On Wednesday, paramedics, ambulance control room staff and support workers, who are members of the Unison, GMB and Unite unions, walked out across much of England and Wales.

More strike action is planned for 28 December.

A bitter war of words between the two sides has escalated, after Mr Barclay said ambulance unions had "taken a conscious choice to inflict harm on patients", which Unite branded "a blatant lie".

Hospitals were quieter than normal during Wednesday's ambulance strikes, with many appearing to heed warnings to only call 999 in an emergency.

But health bosses have warned Thursday is likely to be "very challenging" as people who have put off treatment during strikes turn up at hospitals.

The RCN is also involved in an ongoing industrial dispute over pay and has staged two days of walkouts in England, Northern Ireland and Wales in December.

Unions have warned of more strikes in the new year if the government does not agree to negotiate on pay.