NHS wage cap ‘to be lifted today’

A PAY cap imposed on NHS staff in 2010 is expected to be lifted today. Unions have reportedly agreed a 6.5 per cent rise over three years with the NHS Employers group acting on behalf of the Government.

The £3billion deal, which has been the subject of talks since last year, is expected to cover nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants and paramedics, according to the Financial Times. It will exclude doctors.

Pressure on the Government to relax spending restrictions has built since last year’s general election and the news that NHS staff will receive a rise is likely to lead to demands from other public sector workers.

The pay cap was lifted for prison and police officers last year after ministers said ‘more flexibility may be required to deliver world-class services’.

The new pay deal was brokered by unions including Unison and the Royal College of Nursing, which resisted the loss of a day of annual leave.