Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Dominic McGrath

Sunak shares ‘good news’ on pay offer with NHS nurses

PA Wire

Rishi Sunak joined nurses in a south London hospital to tell staff the news of the breakthrough with health unions.

On a visit to St George’s Hospital in Tooting, the Prime Minister and Health Secretary Steve Barclay told nursing staff about the new pay offer, which the unions are recommending to members.

“I hope that you’ve heard the good news,” Mr Sunak told nurses on a thoracic ward.

“We’ve been working really hard at it, but we’ve managed to find a great agreement with the Royal College of Nursing and all the other unions to make sure you guys all get recognised and rewarded for the fantastic job you do for us.

“And do that in a way that works for us as well and is affordable, so we’re really pleased.”

Mr Sunak was introduced to nurses on the ward, before sitting down for a cup of tea with staff.

Union members will now vote on whether to accept the deal, but the Prime Minister appeared in a good mood as he enthused to staff that he was delivering “hot off the press information”.

Surrounded by nurses in a room just off the ward, Mr Sunak – sleeves rolled up and holding a cup of tea – spoke about the Government’s plans for the NHS.

“At the beginning of the year I made a speech about the priorities that we had and one of them was to cut NHS waiting lists,” he said.

Referencing that ambition, as well as efforts to improve urgent and emergency care, the Prime Minister said: “I know you all just want to focus on that and that is why you all became nurses and everything else so that you could just help patients.

“Now you can get back to focusing on that fully, which hopefully is really good news.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.