RCN warns fresh strike will have ‘significant impact’ on NHS
The RCN has announced walk-outs at more than 120 NHS employers in England in an escalation of its row over pay and staffing.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned its fresh strike action will have a “significant impact” on the NHS, as it urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to intervene to settle the dispute over pay and staffing.
The RCN has announced walk-outs at more than 120 NHS employers in England in a significant escalation of its row over pay and staffing – and the next strike will run continuously for 48 hours from 6am on March 1.
Previous action took place only during the day shift, for 12 hours each time.
In a first, the RCN will involve nursing staff working in emergency departments, intensive care units, cancer care and other services that were previously exempted.
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Nick Hulme told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the planned strikes “will be very different and it’s clearly a much higher risk” than previous strikes, adding there is “significant risk”.
Ms Cullen was asked on the programme if she accepted there would be significant risk to patients, and she said: “What I accept is that there will be significant changes in the 48 hours. And of course there will continue to be extreme challenges.”
Asked again, she said: “What our patients are facing every day, in a depleted health service, a health service in crisis, poses significant risk and significant challenge.”
The college, which has accused the UK Government of refusing to engage in negotiations, has also said it will increase financial support for its members who lose wages by taking industrial action.
On Friday, she told BBC Breakfast: “We’re working night and day with NHS leaders, but we can also see NHS leaders stepping in and writing to the Prime Minister.
“There’s no doubt there will be a significant impact and we are now urging the Prime Minister to step in with 12 days to try and resolve this, around a round table today.”
She said she has not spoken to the Health and Social Care Secretary for more than a month, claiming there has been “no communication” with Steve Barclay during that time.
It comes as the chief executive of the NHS Confederation also urged Mr Sunak to settle the strike action to reduce waiting lists.
“So the Government’s aspiration to lower waiting lists, it’s public commitment to lower waiting lists, is now being jeopardised by this ongoing industrial action.”
Meanwhile, Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers said the fresh strike action is “very worrying in terms of the potential impact”, but he urged patients to still attend appointments unless they are cancelled.
He told Kay Burley on Sky News: “Although the RCN have said they plan to work at a national level to make sure that there is life-preserving care, trust leaders I know are extremely concerned and worried about the potential impact for patients on this next round of action.”
