Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of NHS staff pay increases on the (a) availability and (b) quality of patient services.

The Government values the expertise of the independent Pay Review Bodies (PRBs) who, as part of their Terms of Reference, make pay recommendations based on a range of factors, including recruitment, retention, motivation, morale, and the Government's affordability figure. National Health Service pay is a decision for the Government, and ministers consider the PRB’s recommendations carefully. In 2024/25, the Government accepted the recommendations in full.