Unison, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Unite have written to health secretary Wes Streeting urging him to hold direct pay talks with unions, not wait until the lengthy NHS pay review body process (PRB) has run its course before awarding next year's wage increase.
Their letter says a million NHS staff in England, including nurses, paramedics, healthcare assistants, porters, health visitors and estates workers won't receive their pay rise on time in April if the government waits for the pay review body to report.
The letter adds that failure to finalise new pay rates by 1 April next year also means those workers on the lowest NHS pay bands will slip below the national living wage.
The unions say that if the secretary of state wants to achieve his aim of improving NHS efficiency, there's ‘no better way for him to do this than ditch the current time-consuming pay process for good'.
It would be quicker and more effective to finalise next year's pay increase during wider planned talks on wage scales and job structures, rather than having a ‘twin-track' approach, the unions say.
Today (26 November) is the deadline for evidence to the NHS pay review body, but the three unions aren't submitting anything this year. They have taken this stance because they say the pay review body system is ‘inefficient, outdated and not fit for purpose'. They are calling on the government and NHS employers to host direct pay talks with unions instead.
In the letter to Wes Streeting, the unions write: ‘Sticking with the out-of-date pay review body process risks repeating the mistakes of the past. That doesn't fit with your wider vision for a 21st century NHS that has a stable and motivated workforce at its core.
‘The pay review body process is outdated and belongs to a bygone age. It takes forever, is bureaucratic and is inefficient too. Scrapping this would save tens of thousands of pounds and spare the NHS, the government and other health organisations the many hours it currently takes to compile, submit and present evidence.'
When this year's NHS pay rise was announced in the summer, the health secretary also agreed to provide funding and a mandate to fix the Agenda for Change pay structure.
The 20-year-old pay system needs reform because many health jobs have changed dramatically since it was put in place, say unions. The pay bands need to be adjusted to ensure they reward skills and responsibilities in the right way.
Unions and employers making up the NHS staff council negotiating body are still awaiting the green light from government to get these promised talks underway. With time running short, an NHS pay rise could be discussed at the same time, the unions say. Doing so through a streamlined wage rise process could use up 'fewer resources, and more importantly, deliver next year's pay rise on the day it's due,' the letter adds.
'This would be the most compelling way to help get the NHS back on track, hold on to the experienced staff it needs to do this and attract the recruits key to filling the huge gaps in the workforce.'
In response, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson, said: ‘We know how important it is to give certainty on 2025 to 2026 pay settlements as early as possible, which is why the pay setting process was started in September, the earliest it has been for years.
‘We encourage all stakeholders in the pay setting process to provide evidence this year, as this enables the Pay Review Bodies to make the best possible recommendations.'
