Nurses unions in North Yorkshire today strongly rejected a recommendation to give new nurses an inflation-busting 11 per cent pay rise.

The recommendation, taking the pay of a newly-qualified nurse from £12,855 to £14,269, is alleged to have come from the independent Pay Review Body.

However, a spokesman for UNISON's health branch in York said the news was "very disappointing" and was nowhere near what staff deserved.

The pay rise, a key part of a package to attract more school-leavers into the profession, is also expected to be paid in one go, instead of being phased in like previous awards.

The body was also said to be recommending a 4.7 per cent increase for experienced nurses - nearly twice inflation - meaning an extra £800 a year for those on top grades.

Dave Hanbury, a steward at UNISON's health branch in York, said: "I think nurses in York would be very disappointed at this pay rise. We would like to see a pay rise of around 20 per cent, we know that probably won't happen, but we thought at least between ten to 12 per cent across the board and not just for new nurses.

"This sort of pay rise will not retain staff and I do not think it will go anywhere near to dealing with this problem."

Health Secretary Frank Dobson has indicated he wants to back the review body's recommendation, which ministers have yet to see. The awards are allegedly going to be announced next month.

Earlier, shadow health secretary Ann Widdecombe - who was today expected to lead the Tory attack in a debate on "rationing" in the NHS - wrote to Mr Dobson on the issue, citing his professed desire not to stage nurses' pay awards again if the review body's recommendation was "affordable".

She asked him what he considered "affordable" and what he would do if the recommendation did not fall within the definition, adding that there was concern at recent speculation that an above-inflation award would have to be partly funded by NHS Trusts, leading to other cuts in services.

"Nurses would feel uncomfortable with a pay award that was achieved at the expense of other areas of health service funding," she wrote.

Sources close to ministers responded to her letter by underlining recent statements by the Prime Minister and Mr Dobson that the Government wanted a fair and affordable settlement for nurses.

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