Unite has ramped up pressure on Westminster to mirror the pay offer made to NHS staff in Scotland.
The union announced its plans following a meeting of its Scottish health committee on 9 April.
A formal ballot of Unite’s members in the Scottish NHS will now take place on the latest offer from the Scottish Government.
The proposed deal includes a 4.25 per cent rise for 2025/26 and 3.75 per cent for 2026/27.
It also guarantees any increase will sit at least 1 per cent above the Consumer Price Index.
The online ballot opens on 15 April and closes on 12 May.
Unite is urging members to vote in favour of the deal.
Initial feedback from workers in Scotland has been cautiously optimistic.
However, trust in the Scottish Government remains fragile after it failed to deliver on reducing the working week.
Unite has warned that if the deal is agreed, it must be honoured in full.
If not, industrial action will follow immediately.
Unite’s national officer for health, Richard Munn, said reps were crystal clear on this point.
He added that the Scottish approach should serve as a wake-up call to governments in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Scottish NHS pay already outpaces the rest of the UK.
The current offer far exceeds the UK Government’s suggested 2.8 per cent cap.
Unite says this disparity must be addressed urgently.
Munn said members across the UK expect at least parity with Scotland.
He also called for a plan to close the growing pay gap and restore NHS wages to 2010 levels in real terms.
The union has repeated its call for governments to abandon the current Pay Review Body (PRB) process.
Unite believes the process no longer serves the best interests of health workers.
In Scotland, pay negotiations have involved trade unions directly.
This has allowed a quicker process and a clear recommendation to members.
Unite says the rest of the UK is being left behind.
Unless other governments follow Scotland’s lead, Unite warns a nationwide pay dispute is likely.
Munn said Scotland’s early offer and union involvement shows what’s possible when governments engage constructively.
The alternative, he warned, is confrontation that could easily be avoided.
