** Some asterisked foul language on placards **Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said he is "cautiously optimistic" that unions will accept the current pay offer for nurses, despite increasingly heated rhetoric between negotiators.On Tuesday, unions in the NHS Staff Council will consider the offer of a 5% pay increase for 2023/24 along with a one-off payment worth between £1,655 and £3,789 for the current financial year for nurses in England.Meanwhile, Ms Cullen told the PA news agency more str

** Some asterisked foul language on placards **Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said he is "cautiously optimistic" that unions will accept the current pay offer for nurses, despite increasingly heated rhetoric between negotiators.On Tuesday, unions in the NHS Staff Council will consider the offer of a 5% pay increase for 2023/24 along with a one-off payment worth between £1,655 and £3,789 for the current financial year for nurses in England.Meanwhile, Ms Cullen told the PA news agency more strikes could be on the horizon as RCN members vote on further action later this month.