The Government has said the position on pay remains unchanged.
12 December 2022
Health Secretary Steve Barclay is meeting nursing leaders on Monday after a bitter war of words over industrial action.
Mr Barclay has made clear the Government’s position on pay remains unchanged though the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said it was hopeful the talks could be productive.
It is understood the topic and status of the talks were not pre-agreed before the meeting.
Earlier, the Prime Minister’s spokesman told reporters that Mr Barclay was willing to speak to nurses after RCN chief executive Pat Cullen said the Government’s door was “firmly shut” while hers was “wide open”.
He said: “I think he’s been clear that he’s always willing to meet with the Royal College of Nursing.”
Pressed on whether he is willing to talk to the union about pay, the official said: “The position on pay has not changed – that’s rightly for an independent review body to decide.”
An RCN spokesman said: “We have replied positively to his email and we will attend in the hope the Government is now serious about negotiating.”
A meeting of Cobra – the Government’s emergency response committee – is understood to be ongoing.
A wave of strikes by nurses, paramedics, rail workers and Border Force staff this month is expected to cause mass disruption, with thousands of NHS operations and appointments cancelled.
The military and civil servants are likely to be brought in to cover Border Force staff, while armed forces will also be deployed to hospital trusts ahead of an ambulance worker strike on December 21.
