NHS workers are balloting for strike action in England and Wales over the government’s “insultingly low” 3.6 per cent pay offer, Unite announced today.

The union representing more than 100,000 health workers said the offer is below the 4.5 per cent rate of RPI inflation in April and fails to meet its demands for pay restoration.

It is also lower than NHS Scotland’s pay award, which was 4.25 per cent for 2025/26.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ”The NHS is suffering a huge staffing crisis, thousands are leaving the service and those who remain are pushed to breaking point. 

”Yet the government’s answer is a substandard award that is below inflation and is an insult to NHS staff.

“This offer does nothing to address low pay in the NHS, which hovers perilously close to the legal minimum. How can this possibly be fair or begin to improve staffing in the NHS?”

A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We've accepted pay recommendations in full because we value every NHS professional's contribution to patient care.

“We can’t undo a decade and a half of neglect in less than a year, but together with NHS staff this government is rebuilding their pay and rebuilding our health service."