NHS paramedics, nurses and hospital staff who are Unison members have accepted Government pay offer

Paramedics, nurses and hospital porters in England who are members of Unison have accepted the government’s pay offer.

It ends the dispute that saw tens of thousands of trade unionists go on strike during the winter months, leading to massive disruption to the healthcare system.

The offer covers two pay years, with staff receiving a five percent pay rise this year and a one-time bonus for last year.

It comes ahead of an announcement this afternoon from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), which called for an 18 per cent pay rise, on whether its members have accepted the same pay offer.

The RCN, which closed its membership ballot at 9 a.m. this morning, expects nurses to have turned it down and is planning another vote on a new wave of strike action, reports suggest.

It ends the dispute that saw tens of thousands of trade unionists go on strike over the winter months, leading to massive healthcare disruption

Unison consulted around 288,000 NHS workers across England, with voting closing at 3pm this afternoon.

Just over half (152,329) participated, with 112,458 votes yes and 39,871 votes no.

It means that almost three-quarters (74 percent) have accepted the wage offer.

Sara Gorton, the union’s head of health, said: ‘Clearly health workers would have wanted more, but this was the best that could be achieved through negotiation.

“In recent weeks, health workers have weighed up the offer. They have opted for the certainty that they will have the extra money in their pocket quickly.

“It is unfortunate that it took several months of strike action before the government would commit to negotiations.

Unions told ministers last summer that the £1,400 pay rise was not enough to prevent staff from leaving the NHS, nor prevent strikes. But they wouldn’t listen.’

She said NHS staff were ‘forced to strike’ and ‘lost money they couldn’t afford’, while the health service and patients ‘suffered months of unnecessary disruption’.

Ms Gorton urged the government, which is still consulting with other unions representing the health workforce, to ‘ensure that NHS workers get the pay rises they voted for as soon as possible’.

She added: ‘This vote could end the UNISON dispute, but it won’t solve the wider staffing crisis that affects every part of the NHS. Now the government must work with the unions to establish a sustainable investment program in the workforce.

“Lessons must also be learned. The mistakes of the past months cannot be repeated. It’s time for a whole new approach to reward setting in the NHS.’

With the one-off payment for 2022/23, employees will be paid between £1,655 and £3,789 depending on their salary.

This equates to 8.2 percent for the lowest paid and about 6 percent for nurses and midwives.

It comes on top of the £1,400 NHS staff received last September for 2022/23.

The 2023/24 pay rise is worth at least £1,065 and would raise the lowest hourly rate in the NHS in England to £11.45 per hour, or £22,383 per annum.

A government spokesman said: ‘The decision by members of Unison, the largest NHS union, to accept the wage offer recommended by their leadership demonstrates that it is a fair and reasonable proposal that can put an end to this dispute.

Under the offer, an Agenda for Change employee at the Band 6 entry point – such as a physiotherapist, paramedic or midwife – will receive more than £5,100 last year and this year, with more than £2,000 in bonus payments coming in at once sum in pay checks by summer.

“Hundreds of thousands of Agenda for Change employees will continue to vote for other unions over the next two weeks and we hope this generous offer secures their support.”