Nurses and NHS workers from the campaign group NHS Workers Say No, and Unite's Guys and St Thomas Hospital Union branch, hold a socially distanced protest outside Downing Street in London. Credit: PA A Conservative MP says it is "unfortunate" NHS staff are not set for a bigger pay rise. But South West Hertfordshire's Gagan Mohindra fell short of calling for a rethink when he was asked about the government's proposed 1 per cent pay rise for NHS staff. There have been calls from opposition members in Parliament to increase that 1 per cent figure, with the chief executive of NHS England revealing plans set out previously had budgeted for NHS pay to increase by 2.1 per cent this year.