The body usually submits information to ministers by the end of February, but a spokesman said the data may not be ready to pass on until after April.

Meanwhile, a report by Incomes Data Services, a leading source of employment research data, warns that the 2008 pay round will be tough for negotiators. It warns that the government will have a ‘generally restrictive approach leading to significantly below-inflation pay offers'. It said the government's ‘interventionist approach' with review bodies had caused disputes across the public sector.

nick.bostock@haymarket.com

NHS Pay Review Body

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