Responding to trade union UNISON's call for urgent government action on NHS pay, interim chief executive of NHS Providers Saffron Cordery said:

"We urge the government to approve and fully fund a proper pay rise for NHS staff now.

"Like everyone else NHS staff are affected by the soaring cost of living and need a substantial pay rise which must be fully funded by the government. A failure to do so risks putting additional pressure on NHS trusts who will have to make up any shortfall from already stretched budgets – which would take money away from patient care.

"This must not be a 'trade off' between more money for pay or for more staff. Fair pay helps to attract and retain high-quality staff. We need national funding and pay structures to ensure that NHS staff get fair pay, and aligning the whole NHS pay system with a rate above the real living wage should be a priority. We co-signed a letter with UNISON and the Living Wage Foundation on this issue in April.

"Delays to announcing pay awards every year affect the morale of staff and make financial planning for trusts harder. Trust leaders are particularly concerned about the current financial situation for lower-paid staff and are doing what they can to help out, but the bottom line is that pay levels across the NHS must be addressed urgently."