UK: Thousands of Nurses to Strike Today in First Mass Walkout in a Century
Tens of thousands of nurses are going on strike today for their first mass walkout in a century across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The action, a bid to secure above-inflation pay rises, is going ahead after talks to avert it ended in a deadlock.
Picket lines are being set up at dozens of hospitals and thousands of National Health Services (NHS) appointments and operations have been cancelled, with the health service running a bank holiday-style service in many areas.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said it will still staff chemotherapy, emergency cancer services, dialysis, critical care units, neonatal and paediatric intensive care.
Some areas of mental health and learning disability and autism services are also exempt from the strike, while trusts have been told they can request staffing for specific clinical needs.
When it comes to adult A&E and urgent care, nurses will work Christmas Day-style rotas.
Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said agency NHS trusts were “pulling out all the stops” to lessen the impact on patients.
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She said: “But it’s inevitable that some operations or appointments will have to be rescheduled, and trusts are pulling out all the stops to minimise disruption.
“The cold snap has ramped up demand that was already at or close to record levels, but on strike day NHS trusts will do everything they can to ensure that essential services are properly staffed and patient safety, always the number one priority, is safeguarded.”
RCN chief executive Pat Cullen has accused Health Secretary Steve Barclay of “belligerence” after he refused to discuss the issue of pay – because the government has already accepted recommendations made by the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB) to give below inflation pay rises of around 4%.
This would have seen them get a pay rise of around £1,400.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay has been criticised by the head of the Royal College of Nursing
The RCN has been calling for a pay rise at 5% above inflation, though it has indicated it would accept a lower offer.
When it submitted the 5% figure to the independent pay review body in March, inflation was running at 7.5% but, inflation has since soared, with RPI standing at 14.2% in September.
SOURCE: Sky News
