NHS Employers submission to NHS PRB

We have published our 2022/23 written evidence to NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB). Our evidence has been informed by a continuous cycle of engagement with a full range of NHS organisations about their priorities, opportunities, and challenges.

Our submission reflects the views of employers on the combined effect of the financial, workforce and transformation challenges faced by the NHS and the impact of the pandemic. It considers the impact of the NHS We are the NHS People Plan and the strategic direction set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, and how these factors might come together to influence employer decisions on pay and reward in 2022/23.

Key messages

• The ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to present the NHS with the biggest set of challenges that it has ever faced. Demand levels continue to rise and service delivery pressures show no sign of reducing.
• A long period of funding at levels below the long-term average, combined with inadequate workforce planning and insufficient investment in training, have resulted in a workforce which is not sufficient in size and capability to deal with the multiple challenges the NHS (and social care) is facing.
• There are not enough staff to meet demand in health and social care.
• Recruitment and retention do not depend only on pay or wider reward. Employers believe it is important to create a culture and environment where people want to work; where they feel safe to raise concerns and to learn from mistakes; where employers listen to and empower their people, work hard to keep them safe, and ensure bullying and harassment is not tolerated.

About the NHS pay review body (NHSPR)

The independent NHS pay review body (NHSPRB) makes recommendations to the government on pay awards for nurses, health professionals and other NHS staff. NHS Employers submits evidence to the review bodies, based on information collected from our policy board, our regular meetings with NHS HR directors and our online surveys. Final decisions on pay awards are made by the government.