Union boss Sharon Graham calls on Sunak to intervene on NHS pay

The person of a national representing striking ambulance workers has called connected Rishi Sunak to intervene successful the NHS wage dispute.

On the eve of the biggest week of strikes successful NHS history, Unite's Sharon Graham said: "Where is Rishi Sunak, wherefore is helium not astatine the negotiating table?"

The authorities insists its £1,400 wage emergence for this twelvemonth grant is fair.

But Unite and different wellness unions says the emergence failed to bespeak rising surviving costs and needs to beryllium renegotiated.

Health Secretary Stephen Barclay says helium has held "constructive" talks with unions implicit wage for the adjacent fiscal year, starting successful April.

But asked connected BBC One's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg amusement astir the union's existent dialog with the government, Ms Graham said: "I tin categorically accidental to you we are successful nary talks astatine immoderate level whatsoever with the Government astir wage successful the NHS, and that is simply a existent abdication of responsibility.

Calling connected the premier curate to get personally progressive successful uncovering a solution, she said: "Instead of doing benignant of property conferences astir different things, travel to the array and negociate - rotation your sleeves up and negociate connected the wage successful the NHS, that is what's required."

She claimed that each time that goes by without a solution is putting the wellness of radical astatine risk.

Monday will spot combined concern action, arsenic members from the Royal College of Nursing volition locomotion retired alongside telephone handlers, paramedics and different ambulance unit - who are members of either the GMB and Unite unions.

The onslaught volition impact non-life threatening calls lone and radical are advised to usage the 999 work successful an emergency.

Tuesday will spot members of the RCN national spell connected onslaught again. The national represents astir two-thirds of NHS nurses.

They are taking concern enactment implicit pay, but life-preserving attraction indispensable beryllium provided, and each nurses successful intensive and exigency attraction are expected to work.

NHS physiotherapists crossed England volition spell connected onslaught connected Thursday implicit wage and staffing, and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) says 4,200 members are involved.

And connected Friday, thousands of ambulance unit crossed 5 services successful England - London, Yorkshire, South West, North East, and North West - are striking.