The UK government has offered an additional £2.5 billion to fund pay rises for healthcare staff, in a move that could prevent further strikes by NHS workers

A union has already announced a pause in its strike action following the offer. Health Secretary Steve Barclay met with union representatives on Thursday to negotiate the new pay offer.

The government’s decision to offer an extra £2.5 billion to fund the pay rise for healthcare workers seems to have averted fresh strikes from taking place. The move has been welcomed by the GMB union, which has said that it would be a “huge uplift for the lowest paid” and keep them well above the Real Living Wage.

Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said if the offer is accepted it would be a “huge uplift for the lowest paid to keep them well above the Real Living Wage”.

She said: “Thanks to the strength and hard work of GMB’s NHS members, the government has gone from refusing to talk about pay this year to put an extra 2.5 billion pounds on the table.

“GMB members should rightly be proud of themselves. It’s been a tough road but they have faced down the Department of Health and won an offer that we feel is the best that can be achieved at this stage through negotiation.”