Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increasing NHS worker pay would have on NHS (a) efficiency, (b) staff recruitment and (c) staffing shortages.

The independent Pay Review Body process is the established mechanism for determining pay increases in the public sector, including for staff working in the National Health Service.

In forming its recommendations, the independent Pay Review Bodies consider a range of evidence, including the cost of living, inflation, recruitment, retention, morale and value for the taxpayer. The Department provides evidence as part of this process, including the latest data on the number of staff in the workforce, joiners, leavers and vacancies. The Pay Review Bodies also receive evidence from a range of stakeholders including NHS system partners and trade unions.

While pay is a contributory factor in staff recruitment and retention, any decisions by NHS staff about their employment are taken due to a variety of reasons.