HEALTH union Unison called on the government today to open talks on NHS pay as pressure on the service mounts during the winter health crisis.

After taking power in July, Labour accepted the NHS pay review body recommendation of a 5.5 per cent wage rise and announced that it would commit to modernising the Agenda for Change,which sets out staff pay bands.

But in December, ministers announced that NHS pay rises for 2025-26 would be limited to 2.8 per cent.