Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the potential effect of public sector pay restraint on recruitment and retention in the NHS.

The NHS Pay Review Body and Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration Body are independent bodies that have been in place for decades, and are led by experts that consider written and oral evidence about the recruitment, retention and motivation of National Health Service staff. They gather evidence from many stakeholders, not just the government, including NHS trades unions, NHS Employers, NHS Providers, NHS Improvement, Health Education England and NHS England.

Based on that evidence the Pay Review Bodies prepare reports for government which make recommendations on the level of pay award that will enable the NHS to continue to recruit, retain and motivate the staff it needs. The reports consider carefully a range of issues including affordability of the workforce and the prevailing public sector pay policy.

On 28 March this year the Government accepted the Pay Review Bodies recommendation for a 1% pay increase for all NHS staff for 2017/18, which will be in addition to incremental pay for those staff that are eligible.