THE next NHS pay deal for 2023-24 — due by April — could be backdated to this month in a bid to avert more national strikes across the heath service, unions suggested today.

Unison head of health Sara Gorton said that Tory Health Secretary Steve Barclay had acknowledged that any new settlement would need to involve a “reach-back” into the current pay year to avoid more walkouts. 

The apparent concession, made during Monday’s crisis talks with unions in Whitehall, came ahead of another walkout over pay by ambulance staff across England and Wales today and a 48-hour strike by nurses next week.

GMB said that the discussions represented a “real shift in tone” but stressed that industrial action would go ahead as planned without a “significant” wage offer from the government.

National secretary Rachel Harrison told BBC Breakfast: “[Monday] was a real shift, because there was that willingness from the Secretary of State to listen to us, to talk to us about pay for next year specifically.

“But unfortunately, the meeting wasn’t progressive enough for us to be able to suspend strike action because no offer has yet been made.”

Health unions are demanding an end to years of real-terms wage cuts after ministers announced last summer that most NHS workers — hailed as “heroes” during the Covid-19 pandemic — would be offered just 4.5 per cent, less than half soaring double-digit inflation.

Reports suggest that Mr Barclay is also considering a one-off payment as ministers come under massive pressure to avoid more disruption, but unions have stressed that, unless 2022-23’s “insulting” deal is improved, yet more workers will be forced to abandon the NHS.