NHS could face bill of more than £1bn to fund upcoming pay rise

Senior figures expect increase of between 4% and 5% but fear they will have to cover costs of anything over the previously agreed 3%

NHS staff look set to get a pay rise of barely half the rate of inflation, a move that will force the health service to make more than 1bn of cuts and could trigger a wave of strikes.

Senior NHS figures expect ministers to award staff an increase of between 4% and 5% when they announce on Tuesday how much the public sector workers will receive in 2022-23.