Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on industrial relations and service provision of the 3.5 percent pay increase recommendation to the NHS Pay Review Body for 2023-24, set out the department's evidence document of 21 February 2023.

The Government hugely values our National Health Service staff and as set out in the NHS Public Review Body (NHSPRB) evidence for 2023/24, have committed to give them a pay rise in the next financial year. In July 2022 the Government accepted in full the NHSPRB recommendations for 2022/23 and backdated all pay uplifts to 1 April 2022.

We recognise that global economic headwinds are putting household budgets under additional pressure this year. The Government will talk to all unions who are willing to discuss what is fair and reasonable recognising the vital role public sector workers play but also the wider economic pressures facing the United Kingdom.

Ultimately, the Pay Review Bodies will consider the evidence submitted by Government alongside other evidence and base their recommendations on several factors including the economic context, cost of living, recruitment and retention, morale, and motivation of NHS staff.