In total, RCN members in 102 NHS trusts in England voted in favor of strikes – less than half of the 215 polled. Nurses in a number of other NHS bodies, including NHS England and NHS Blood and Transplant, also voted in favor of action. Workers at all NHS employers in Scotland and Northern Ireland supported the strikes, as did all bar one in Wales. If it goes ahead, it will be the first UK-wide strike by RCN members in its 106-year history. On Wednesday, union officials were locked in discussions about what that might include. Options range from a simultaneous national strike affecting all agencies that voted for the action, or a more staggered approach. Steve Barclay, the health secretary, urged the union to meet him for talks on Thursday, saying he was willing to “listen to their concerns”. But Mr Barclay said demands for a 17.6% pay rise were “outside the current economic conditions in the UK”. The health secretary stressed the government had accepted the decisions made by an independent review body – namely an average rise of 4.75 per cent for nurses in England and Wales, with extra for the lowest paid. Mr Barclay said the deal meant one million NHS workers would get a pay rise of at least £1,400 this year, on top of a 1 per cent rise last year. Scotland has offered a flat rate of just over £2,200, meaning a newly qualified nurse would get around eight per cent more. The RCN called for five per cent on top of the RPI inflation rate, which is above 12 per cent.
Payment requirements ‘not reasonable or affordable’
Mr Barclay said strikes would mean patients would be forced to suffer delays. “Union demands for a 17.6% pay settlement are around three times what millions of people outside the public sector routinely receive and are simply not reasonable or affordable,” he said. “The Labor Party also refused to support it. Unfortunately, this action will mean that some patients will delay their treatment. “My priority is to keep patients safe during any strikes, minimize disruption and ensure emergency services continue to operate.” He told the broadcasters: “One of the first things I did in my first week was to contact them to offer a meeting. We’ve said it before today. “I hope to see them very soon. Obviously, we want to see what the outcome of the ballot box was, but my door is open and I look forward to meeting them in the coming days.”
Union warns of ‘disruption’
The RCN said it was committed to ensuring emergency and urgent care could continue during a strike. The strike care model says that emergency care will be provided to sustain life or prevent permanent disability. Some of the more serious cases of cancer could be treated, and emergency diagnostic procedures and assessments would be staffed if needed to gather data on potentially life-threatening conditions or those that could lead to permanent disability. The RCN negotiates the level of care it will provide with individual NHS services. A previous strike in Northern Ireland meant entire services such as intensive care were exempt from strike action, while others held a service on Sunday or Christmas Day Asked what could be expected, Ms Cullen said the action would be managed “safely and efficiently” but would inevitably involve “disruption”. “We do not intend to put any patients at further risk during the strike. We will manage it safely and effectively,” he said. “There has to be disruption during a strike, but I keep saying – every government now has an opportunity to move away from where we are and start listening to the profession. They have placed us here, but they can also take us away from it.”
