Further strike action could be dangerous – the government must find a resolution now

Editorial: As has been clear from the outset, sooner or later the strikes will have to end, and they can only do so through talks

The nurses, junior doctors, and wider NHS staff retain a good deal of public sympathy and support (PA Wire)

The Royal College of Nursing’s demand for better pay and conditions for its members has always had a good deal of merit. The nation that “clapped for carers” during the pandemic implicitly recognises the moral debt it owes to those who placed their lives on the line to look after others. Many paid the ultimate price.

Years of public-sector pay freezes, and then below-inflation rises, have eroded the earnings of all NHS staff. This is an obvious problem that affects the training, recruitment and retention of sufficient nurses, which in turn adds to the pressure on the wards and in the clinics. The nurses, junior doctors, and wider NHS staff retain a good deal of public sympathy and support.

The next few days, however, will be critical in seeing how far the RCN, and other unions, can press their claim for higher pay. On Tuesday, the innocuously named NHS Staff Council will in effect decide whether secretary of state Steve Barclay and NHS trust managers will be able to impose a pay settlement on nursing staff.