Ministers shot down calls for from a nursing union for a double-digit pay rise simply weeks after it backed a Government pay supply.

Nurses will obtain round £5,000 in a settlement backed by different NHS unions – however the Royal College of Nursing needs to renew negotiating for extra.

Energy Secretary Grant Shapps stated it was “odd” that RCN common secretary Pat Cullen had really helpful the 5 p.c deal and a one-off bonus, however now needed twice that.

He stated the Government needed to steadiness such pay calls for with pressures on the “rest of the public purse”.

Mr Shapps instructed Sophy Ridge on Sky News: “Pat Cullen just recently was encouraging her members to settle for the pay rise.

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Ministers shot down demands from a

“I thought this was a great settlement. I thought it’s terrific that it had been reached.

“It’s frankly rather confusing now that having encouraged her members to accept that deal, she seems to now be coming back and saying the opposite.”

RCN members will start a recent poll for strike motion on May 23 – the prevailing six-month mandate ran out this month. Ms Cullen admitted she had misjudged the temper of members after they narrowly rejected the supply.

She added: “I may personally have underestimated the members and their sheer determination.

“I think what I would be saying to the Prime Minister is ‘Don’t – don’t make that same mistake’.

“Nurses believe it’s their duty and their responsibility because this Government is not listening to them on how to bring [the NHS] back from the brink and the message to the Prime Minister is that they are absolutely not going to blink first.”

Most well being unions backed the pay supply, which suggests it was ratified and can be paid to nurses no matter any industrial motion.

A Department of Health supply stated: “The Health Secretary’s door is open to discuss how we can make the NHS a better place to work for all staff – but in terms of pay, as Pat Cullen herself said, the offer was final.

“It is time to move on from industrial action and work together to deliver for patients.”

Senior docs in England vote as we speak on hanging over pay.

Dr Vishal Sharma, head of the BMA consultants committee, stated take-home pay had fallen by 35 p.c since 2008-9 “even before the impact of this year’s soaring inflation. The final offer from Government represented yet another real-terms pay cut.”