Sir Keir Starmer says he does not want to see industrial action over public sector pay, saying “I don’t think anybody wants to see strikes”. The prime minister is keen to talk about the different approach between his government and the last Conservative administration saying, “we’ve got our doctors and nurses on the frontline providing care, rather than on the picket line”. Report by Blairm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00By working with the NHS, we are making real progress in bringing those waiting lists down
00:05and I committed to 2 million extra appointments in the first year of Labour government.
00:10I'm really pleased that 9, 10 months in, we've done 3 million extra appointments
00:15so we've got our doctors and nurses on the front line providing care rather than on the picket line.
00:21Obviously, that's because we accepted the pay recommendation last year.
00:25We're able to settle those disputes.
00:27Nobody wanted our nurses and doctors in industrial disputes.
00:31The pay review bodies are now going through the process, making their recommendations
00:35and we'll consider them as we always do.
00:38That's part of the annual cycle.
00:39Well, I don't think anybody wants to see strikes.
00:42Doctors and nurses don't want to be on strike.
00:44Patients don't want to see strikes.
00:46So, obviously, we want to do as we're doing now, which is to work with NHS staff,
00:51not pit against them, which is what the last government did.
00:54But, yes, it will come with further efficiencies.
00:56That's not part of the pay review mechanism.
00:59That's just an argument we've been making from the get-go,
01:02which is record investment into the NHS quite right too,
01:06but it has to come with reform and changing the way that we are operating,
01:09which is why today we are championing the fact that the NHS app, for example,
01:14is being widely used in the NHS now.
01:17People can deal with their appointments, they get their medical data, etc., etc.,
01:23on their app, and that saves, well, up till now, £5 million of staff time.
01:29So, yes, efficiencies have always been part of the argument
01:32that we're making good investment in the NHS under a Labour government, of course,
01:36but also making sure we're reforming the NHS so that it's fit for the future.
01:40So, yes, that's what we're going to do.