Unison calls off strike by NHS staff

UNISON has suspended a planned strike for its NHS members in England which was scheduled for tomorrow.

It follows several meetings with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to resolve disputes over pay.

The union said it will consult its members over a proposal put forward by the Department of Health.

The Royal College of Midwives, Unite and GMB have also confirmed they will suspend strike action planned for this coming Thursday.

Several NHS walkouts were staged across the country last year after the government's decision not to implement a recommended 1% pay rise.

The offer made by the government is understood to include:

A 1% pay rise for staff up to band 8B which takes in senior nurses

Lower paid staff will also get an extra £200 a year in their salary. 

And the bottom level of pay will be increased to £15,100 a year

There is also a commitment from the government that the NHS Pay Review Body will continue to make future recommendations on pay uplift for NHS staff in 2016/17 

Contingency plans had been put in place at Grimsby's hospital as talks continued, with the hospital pledging that all emergency and inpatients at the Diana, Princess Of Wales Hospital would be treated as usual during the national NHS action planned for tomorrow.

However as no action will take place, service will continue as normal.