Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the role of (a) inflation and (b) other factors in the decision by NHS staff to strike.

The Government has accepted in full the recommendations made by the independent Pay Review Body on a pay deal for National Health Service staff. In formulating its recommendations, the Pay Review Body considers evidence from a range of stakeholders, including the NHS and trade unions. It also considers factors such as recruitment, retention, morale and motivation, affordability and the economic context, including inflation.