Health unions have condemned the government’s decision to impose a 3.3% pay rise on 1.4 million NHS staff in England, branding it an insult and a betrayal. The increase, announced by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, falls short of the current inflation rate of 3.4% and applies to nurses, midwives, porters, and other frontline workers for 2026–27.
Unions accused the government of acting in bad faith, claiming it broke a promise of direct talks. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said the award is effectively a pay cut unless inflation falls. The RCN’s general secretary, Nicola Ranger, described the move as “knife-edge gameplaying” that devalues staff propping up a struggling system.
The RCM’s Gill Walton noted that midwives work 100,000 unpaid hours weekly to keep services running, calling the real-terms cut an insult. Unite threatened industrial action, with general secretary Sharon Graham calling it “an act of political cowardice” and a financial betrayal. Unite’s national officer for health, Richard Munn, warned that unless talks address grievances, members may have no choice but to strike.
Streeting defended the rise, saying it exceeds the Office for Budget Responsibility’s 2.2% inflation forecast for 2026–27. He attributed the affordability to savings by NHS trusts and integrated care boards, which freed up funds within the existing settlement. The RCN said it would assess future pay awards for other staff before deciding on action.
