Inside the secret talks to finish nurse and ambulance strikes

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With nurses staging their most substantial strike and other unions walking out, the NHS faced one particular its most bitter disputes

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It was one particular of the most bitter disputes in the history of the NHS, with the Royal College of Nursing staging its most substantial strike action ever. But as a deal with ministers was reached in England this week, the BBC can now reveal facts of the secret and unprecedented talks.

On cold, frosty mornings on nurses’ picket lines the rhetoric was fiery and noisy. Striking nurses condemned the government for failing to open spend talks. Ministers criticised walkouts affecting individuals.

But behind the scenes it was a incredibly diverse story. Secret contacts had been becoming created involving the two sides.

From early January there had been confidential approaches from an unofficial supply to the Royal College of Nurses (RCN), the nurses’ union, about the possibility of talks starting in England. This involved placing out feelers to see what could bring the nurses’ union to the table.

Strikes by nurses and other overall health unions – representing paramedics, midwives and other NHS employees – had been triggered when ministers insisted on sticking to the suggestions of the independent spend evaluation physique (PRB). It had proposed typical increases of four%.

The RCN’s original demand for a wage rise of five% above inflation – equivalent at one particular point to 19% – was unaffordable, ministers mentioned.

The government is eventually accountable for setting NHS spend in England, funded by the Division of Wellness and Social Care. NHS Employers are involved in detailed negotiations.

But now these secret contacts had been created, it was not clear to the RCN how closely they had been linked to Downing Street or other components of Whitehall.

The approaches seemed extremely unorthodox. Commonly it would be clear no matter whether ministers or officials had been producing a proposal.

But all became clear on 21 February with a get in touch with from Downing Street to the Royal College of Nursing. There was an invitation to talks which would contain the thought of a one particular-off payment for the present economic year, a essential demand of the nurses. The public announcement came as a large surprise even to some civil servants.

The prime minister was signalling a modify of tack. Previously there had been denials that any a lot more revenue was out there. In return for the invitation to speak the RCN had to agree to get in touch with off an escalated two-day strike in England affecting all care, like emergencies.

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The Royal College of Nursing’s Pat Cullen had a higher profile in the media and seemingly higher public assistance

And so started the chain of events which led to final Thursday’s spend offer you to nurses, paramedics, midwives and other overall health employees in England.

There had been shades of international diplomacy and intrigue in the negotiations. Back-channels and deniable contacts had steered a damaging dispute into calmer waters.

The stakes could not have been greater, as on the face of it the NHS strikes and widespread disruption had seemed destined to rumble on for months. But so far, these tentative talks had been only with the RCN. The other overall health unions, representing paramedics and a variety of overall health employees, had been irritated. They had been not invited to the table.

It seemed that the government was deliberately focusing on the nurses’ union since of what seemed to be increasing public assistance. RCN’s basic secretary Pat Cullen had a higher profile in the media.

The RCN discussions with ministers remained shrouded in secrecy. Early encounters took location at an undisclosed place to stay clear of the media.

But that changed on two March when the other unions had been invited to join the talks. Assurances had been provided that a lot more revenue was out there but the unions had to agree to retain the procedure confidential.

The outcome was an intensive series of meetings at the Division of Wellness and Social Care in Victoria Street, close to Westminster Abbey.

They took location on the ninth floor in offices which have traditionally been occupied by ministers. Wellness Secretary Steve Barclay had selected to move down one particular floor to an open program workplace with civil servants.

Union officials had been intrigued to note they had been meeting in an workplace when occupied by Matt Hancock. It was the scene of his kiss with his then-aide Gina Coladangelo, caught on CCTV and the pictures leaked to a newspaper. They joked about the attainable presence of cameras.

The six members of the NHS employees council, representing the primary overall health unions, along with one particular other official, had been employed to talks with employers. Sara Gorton of Unison, who chairs the council, says of the unprecedented circumstance they had been in: “The procedure was exclusive in that the secretary of state was personally involved and negotiated straight with unions.”

What was also extremely uncommon was the presence of Treasury officials as effectively as negotiators from NHS Employers and overall health employees. It seemed they wanted to retain a close watch on revenue becoming presented.

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Unison’s Sara Gorton mentioned it was a exclusive circumstance for the overall health secretary to negotiate straight with unions

A single union supply mentioned it became clear we had been “negotiating with individuals who weren’t employed to it”. A different added that they had “never ever worked in this way just before”.

There was a determination on the aspect of ministers to stay clear of leaks. Information sheets provided to the negotiators had to be handed back at the finish of each and every day. When the union group took the paperwork for their personal private discussions they had to hand more than their phones to avert pictures becoming taken. No paper was permitted to leave the constructing.

Possibly in a bid to demonstrate Whitehall austerity there was no typical provide of refreshments. A single participant remembers “coffee and an occasional biscuit”. A different mentioned they decided to bring in their personal glasses for water.

For lunch they had been taken down to the department’s canteen, escorted at all instances about the constructing. Sometimes they nipped out for fresh air and a speedy take a look at to a nearby sushi bar.

The days had been extended with formal talks in complete sessions interspersed with negotiating teams retreating to smaller sized offices. In some cases they ran on beyond midnight. They knew the outcome of their perform would be vitally critical for the complete NHS in England.

Steve Barclay was present for significantly of the procedure, as was overall health minister Will Quince – even though he had to take his leave one particular day since the King was going to his constituency.

According to one particular union supply: “Steve Barclay was constructive and there was not the heated atmosphere noticed just before Christmas.”

A single government supply describes the secretary of state’s style: “What gets him going is seeing a difficulty by way of – like a maths difficulty – he does not make a large noise and gets his head down.”

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Wellness Secretary Steve Barclay was “constructive” in talks, a union supply mentioned

There had been tensions at instances, but no critical fallings out. Late on Wednesday evening a deal was carried out. Exhausted participants retired, relieved but recognizing it had to be sold to members.

Rachel Harrison of the GMB reflects on the outcome: “They had been incredibly extended days locked on the ninth floor but it was what we asked for – we wanted to be invited in and they did.”

Unions had insisted just before getting into the talks that it had to be “new revenue” which funded any spend offer you. Ministers, immediately after the deal, mentioned the funding would not come from NHS frontline budgets.

But there is nonetheless ambiguity about the supply of the revenue, with government sources saying some would come from current planned Division of Wellness and Social Care spending and the rest immediately after negotiation with the Treasury.

The spend dispute began with ministers insisting that they would comply with suggestions of the spend evaluation physique and not negotiate straight with unions. But it was face-to-face talks which broke the deadlock.

The deal – a one particular off payment and a five% spend rise for the year beginning in April – incorporated an agreement to evaluation the composition and remit of the PRB.

But this is not the finish of the procedure. The dispute will only finish when overall health union members give their approval – and that is far from particular.

But strikes which have brought on frustrating delays for individuals and broken employees morale have for now come to an finish in England. As one particular union supply reflects: “What a shame it took so extended.”