HEALTH SECRETARY Jeremy Hunt claimed that he had “scrapped” the pay cap for NHS workers yesterday, but Labour were left seeking assurances over whether it would be funded by further cuts.

Labour’s new shadow disabilities minster Marsha de Cordova had urged Mr Hunt to lift the 1 per cent cap on health workers’ pay and help the “chronically understaffed” NHS during questions in the Commons.

Mr Hunt replied: “I can give you good news — the pay cap has been scrapped.”

But when asked by Warrington North Labour MP Helen Jones if hospitals would be forced to cut more services to fund the lifting of the cap, Mr Hunt said this was something he could not yet answer.

He would only reveal that negotiations would rely on “productivity improvements”.

“But the fact is we do have that flexibility and I hope we can get a win-win as a result,” he said.

Labour successfully moved a non-binding motion last month calling for the scrapping of the pay cap for NHS workers.

It attracted support from the DUP although no formal vote was pushed.

Responding to Mr Hunt’s claim, shadow health minister Jonathan Ashworth said: “The Secretary of State tells the Commons the NHS pay cap has been lifted but he cannot say whether this is going to come from existing budgets or not.

“It looks like hospitals will be forced to cut other services to find the funds.

“Jeremy Hunt is trying to face both ways on NHS pay and it just means even more uncertainty.

“While the government dithers, staff continue to leave the NHS and patients continue to be at risk from short-staffed services.

“There has still been no confirmation of any of this from the Treasury.”

Mr Ashworth called for immediate assurance that extra funding would be provided by the government so that “all staff can benefit from a long-overdue pay rise.”

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis accused the government of making a “smoke and mirrors move.”

He said: “NHS staff, patients and services shouldn't be made to suffer to fund a pay rise. And the government can’t cherry-pick lifting the cap for health workers.

“This cap has to be scrapped and replaced with decent pay rises for all public-service workers.”

And Kevin Brandstatter of the GMB union said: “If there is no new money then it’s a con trick to claim that the pay cap has ended.

“Without new funding, ‘productivity improvements’ just looks like code for cuts to jobs and services.”