Nursing strikes 2023: Royal College of Nursing, the GMB & Unison back new pay offer - but it’s not over yet

Will Millar
By Will Millar
Published 17th Mar 2023, 08:04 BST
Updated 17th Mar 2023, 08:05 BST
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Unions for healthcare workers are backing a fresh proposal by the government but BMA is yet to hold talks to resolve the ongoing doctors dispute

NHS staff in England, including nurses and ambulance workers, could end months of ongoing strike action by accepting a fresh pay offer backed by unions. But the British Medical Association (BMA) is yet to start talks on behalf of doctors after rejecting formal pay talks with the government last Friday.

The Royal College of Nursing, the GMB and Unison are backing a new pay offer which surfaced after lengthy talks between health unions and the government on Thursday. If the offer is accepted, staff will get a one-off payment for 2022-23 that rises in value up the NHS pay bands as well as a 5% rise on all contracted salaries for 2023-24.

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Now, 14 unions will ballot their members on the new proposal but could take weeks for an official result to be declared. Rachel Harrison, GMB national secretary, said that the union’s members “should rightly be proud of themselves”.