Health unions call 3.3% pay rise for 1.4m NHS staff in England ‘an insult’

The Guardian - World NewsEN 3 min read 100% complete by Denis Campbell Health policy editorFebruary 12, 2026 at 08:24 PM

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Health unions are criticizing the imposed 3.3% pay rise for 1.4 million NHS staff in England for 2026-27, deeming it insufficient. Unions, including the Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwives, and Unite, are calling the increase, announced by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, a "betrayal" and "an insult" because it is below the current inflation rate. While Streeting argues the rise exceeds projected inflation for that period, unions contend it fails to address previous real-terms pay cuts and accused the government of breaking a promise of direct talks. Unite has threatened strike action, while other unions are considering their next steps. The unions argue that the pay increase does not adequately value NHS staff and their contributions.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Office for Budgetary Responsibility 40% Richard Munn 50% Gill Walton 60% Sharon Graham 60% Nicola Ranger 60% United Kingdom 70% Royal College of Nursing ×270% Royal College of Midwives ×270% Unite ×270% Wes Streeting ×280% National Health Service ×790%

Keywords

nhs pay rise 100% health unions 80% inflation 70% strike action 60% real-terms pay cut 60% nhs staff 50% wes streeting 40% royal college of nursing 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

England

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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nhs pay rise health unions inflation strike action real-terms pay cut nhs staff wes streeting royal college of nursing

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