The government tried to conflate annual pay increments with inflationary pay rises for the NHS as well. I guess it plays well to the media, but totally fails to account for the fact that lots of people don't get them, and the increments are to gradually ease you up to what *should* be the role's pay.

They seemed to get away with it too, at least until they eventually chucked us 1% (still, my colleagues who were on civil service T&Cs had to jump through hoops even to get that).