Treasury ‘holds up’ NHS pay review crucial to breaking union deadlock

The Treasury has held up submissions to next year’s pay review bodies, Steve Barclay has said - despite promises to speed up the process that could help break the deadlock with the unions.

The Health Secretary said that recommendations for next year’s deal have been delayed by attempts to form a “co-ordinated” approach across departments, insisting that the health submission was completed some time ago.

On Tuesday, it emerged that several departments - including the Department of Health and Social Care - have missed the Jan 11 deadline for submitting evidence on next year's pay award.

The chairman of the House of Commons health select committee said he was “astonished” by the three-week delay, with health ministers previously having pledged to expedite the process for next year.

NHS workers are planning their biggest strikes yet, as ambulance workers and nurses combine walkouts next Monday. The health service is also expected to be badly affected by Wednesday’s strikes, with many staff forced to take time off as schools close.

Ministers have repeatedly suggested that efforts are being made to speed up next year’s pay recommendations, as part of efforts to break the deadlock with unions.

Mr Barclay told MPs that the delays were caused by a desire to have “further engagement with trade unions” about the process, as well as have a co-ordinated approach across government.

“Once we completed ours, some time ago, there's been a need to wait for other departments to also have those discussions. That is, across government, a process coordinated by the Treasury. And once the Treasury is happy for the department to submit this, we are ready to do so."

The Treasury already made its own submission almost a month ago, cautioning against rises beyond 3.5 per cent.

Philippa Hird, chairman of the NHS Pay Review Body, told MPs that she had written to the minister to express her concerns about the deadline.

“We're carrying on doing what we do, and we are being as flexible as we can be to make sure we get our report on time,” said Ms Hird.

Steve Brine, chairman of the health select committee, suggested the absence of key evidence left the review body "making chocolate without cocoa beans”.

The Treasury said officials “decided to take the step to engage with unions on our respective evidence so it can be as informed as possible,” promising to publish evidence “in due course”.