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| Nurses to suspend 48-hour strike as talks with government re-start | Nurses to suspend 48-hour strike as talks with government re-start |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Nurses in England have suspended next week's 48-hour strike as they re-start talks with the government over pay. | |
| The Royal College of Nursing and the Department of Health and Social Care issued a joint statement saying they would start "intensive" negotiations. | |
| Health Secretary Steve Barclay is due to meet union officials on Wednesday. | |
| The RCN originally asked for a pay rise of 5% above inflation, but has since said it would be willing to meet the government half way. | |
| Next week's walkout, due to start on Wednesday, was set to be the biggest strike of this winter's pay dispute, with half of frontline services affected. | Next week's walkout, due to start on Wednesday, was set to be the biggest strike of this winter's pay dispute, with half of frontline services affected. |
| The action would have also included nursing staff from emergency departments, intensive care units, cancer care and other services that were previously exempted. | |
| 'Sigh of relief' | 'Sigh of relief' |
| The government had for months refused to reopen discussions on the pay deal for 2022-23 - in which nurses and other NHS staff were given a rise of 4.75% average. | |
| The breakthrough was announced as the government unveiled its plans for the 2023-24 pay rise, which would come in to effect in April. It says it is willing to give a rise of 3.5%. | The breakthrough was announced as the government unveiled its plans for the 2023-24 pay rise, which would come in to effect in April. It says it is willing to give a rise of 3.5%. |
| That's less than what the RCN had been calling for - but one source close to the negotiations said this had opened the door for that pay award to be backdated into this year. That means nurses and other staff, such as paramedics, cleaners and porters, would get an extra boost in pay for last year. | |
| One source close to the negotiations said this had opened the door for that pay award to be backdated into this year, so giving nurses and other staff, such as paramedics, cleaners and porters, an extra boost in pay. | One source close to the negotiations said this had opened the door for that pay award to be backdated into this year, so giving nurses and other staff, such as paramedics, cleaners and porters, an extra boost in pay. |
| The joint statement said: "The government and RCN have agreed to enter a process of intensive talks. | The joint statement said: "The government and RCN have agreed to enter a process of intensive talks. |
| "Both sides are committed to finding a fair and reasonable settlement that recognises the vital role that nurses and nursing play in the NHS and the wider economic pressures facing the UK and the prime minister's priority to halve inflation. | "Both sides are committed to finding a fair and reasonable settlement that recognises the vital role that nurses and nursing play in the NHS and the wider economic pressures facing the UK and the prime minister's priority to halve inflation. |
| "The health secretary will meet with the RCN on Wednesday to begin talks. The RCN will pause strike action during these talks." | "The health secretary will meet with the RCN on Wednesday to begin talks. The RCN will pause strike action during these talks." |
| Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive at NHS Providers, which represents health managers, said they would be "breathing a sigh of relief" at the news. | Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive at NHS Providers, which represents health managers, said they would be "breathing a sigh of relief" at the news. |
| "The past weeks have seen a worrying escalation of industrial action, which has hit patients hard. This is the glimmer of hope we all needed." | "The past weeks have seen a worrying escalation of industrial action, which has hit patients hard. This is the glimmer of hope we all needed." |
| The NHS still faces industrial action from other unions representing staff from paramedics to junior doctors. | |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Nursing | Nursing |
| NHS | NHS |
| Royal College of Nursing | Royal College of Nursing |
| Strike action | Strike action |