UK

NHS strikes: nurses battle for fair pay escalates

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) have ramped up strike action after the union has confirmed the biggest health worker walkout to date.

The world’s largest nursing union have confirmed nursing staff, including those working in emergency departments, intensive care units, cancer care and other services that were previously exempt from industrial action, will strike continuously for 48 hours next month.

Commencing on 1st March until Friday 3rd march at 6am, the strike will take place at 128 NHS employers in England as the government continues to refuse to negotiate the 2022-23 pay deal. During previous strikes, nurses have only walked out of hospitals for 12 hours at a time.

The RCN is calling for nurses to receive an above-inflation – which is currently sat at 10% – pay rise, however the government have dismissed this, claiming it is out of their budget.

Services will be reduced to ‘an absolute minimum’, the union has said, and hospitals will be asked to rely on members of other unions and other clinical professionals.

Pat Cullen, RCN General Secretary said: ‘It is with a heavy heart that I have asked even more nursing staff to join this dispute. These strikes will not just run for longer and involve more people but will leave no area of the NHS unaffected. Patients and nurses alike did not want this to happen.

‘I will do whatever I can to ensure patient safety is protected. At first, we asked thousands to keep working during the strikes but it’s clear that is only prolonging the dispute.

‘This action must not be in vain – the Prime Minister owes them an answer.’

However, in response to this, Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, has accused the union of putting patients at risk. Mr Barclay said: ‘We are working closely with NHS England on contingency plans, but this action will inevitably cause further disruption.’

Sir Julian Hartley, Chief Executive at NHS Providers, said: ‘This is the most worrying escalation of strikes yet. With more than 140,000 appointments already postponed as a result of the walkouts, this is a step no one wants to take.

‘A continuous 48-hour strike with no exceptions in A&E, intensive care units or cancer care services will be a huge blow – especially as even more trusts will be affected this time.’

The nurses strike announcement has come despite a new bill being passed in Parliament earlier this year, which states organisations must ensure a minimum level of workers must be available despite the rest of the workforce engaging in industrial action.

Photo by Manny Becerra