NEWS: Strikes Loom as Treasury Says No Extra Cash for NHS

As reported by The Guardian, the Treasury has warned that upcoming pay rises for NHS staff must be funded from within existing departmental budgets, raising the prospect of renewed industrial action

Two independent pay review bodies – one for NHS staff and another for teachers in England – are understood to have recommended higher pay increases than the 2.8% figure currently budgeted by the government. Reports suggest recommendations of around 4% for teachers and 3% for NHS workers, setting up a potential clash between unions and ministers.

The issue is especially pressing in the Department of Health and Social Care, where senior officials reportedly believe the pay increases are necessary to avoid further disruption. A government source stated: “Wes Streeting, the health secretary got a generous settlement in the autumn,” but acknowledged that another wave of strikes would be politically damaging, especially to efforts aimed at improving recruitment and reducing waiting lists.

Labour leader Keir Starmer urged both sides to work together to avoid strike action, saying: “I don’t want to see strike action; I don’t think anybody wants to see strike action.”

The government is now under pressure to decide whether to implement the pay recommendations in full – risking departmental cuts elsewhere – or hold firm on its budget limits and face the possibility of industrial unrest in the public sector once again.