The largest nurses’ strike in NHS history has begun as workers engage in acrimonious pay disputes.
Around 70,000 appointments, procedures and surgeries have been canceled in England due to the strike, according to Health Minister Maria Caulfield.
A quarter of English hospitals and community brigades are on strike, as are all foundations in Northern Ireland and all but one health authority in Wales.
This means that the strike days NHS service will offer banking holiday style services in many areas.
However, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said it will continue to hire staff for chemotherapy, cancer emergency, dialysis, intensive care units, neonatal and pediatric intensive care.
Certain areas of mental health, learning disabilities, and autism treatment services are also tax-exempt, while foundations have been told they can request staff for specific clinical needs.
Two 12-hour debates scheduled Thursday 15.12 and Tuesday, December 20between 8 am and 8 pm
Medical staff on strike in my area?
Below is the full list of NHS trusts on strike in each region, according to the RCN – the union’s website also has an interactive map to help you check your area:
East Midlands
- Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB
- Northamptonshire Health Trust NHS Foundation Trust
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Nottinghamshire Health Trust NHS Foundation Trust
East
- Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- NHS Foundation Trust in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
- Cambridgeshire Public Services NHS Trust
- Hertfordshire NHS Community Trust
- NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB
- Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
London
- Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Guy and St. Thomas NHS Foundation Trust
- Imperial College of Health NHS Trust
- NHS North Central London ICB
- Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
northwest
- Children’s NHS Alder Hey Trust
- Liverpool NHS Heart and Chest Hospital gains credibility
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Clatterbridge NHS Cancer Center gains credibility
- Walton Center NHS Foundation
North
- Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Southeast
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
southwest
- Devon Partnership NHS Trust
- Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Bath NHS, North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB (combined BSW)
- NHS Devon ICB (Devon)
- NHS Gloucestershire ICB (one Gloucestershire)
- North Bristol NHS Trust
- Royal Devon University NHS Foundation Healthcare Trust
- Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
- Bristol University Hospitals and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
- Plymouth University Hospitals NHS Trust
western middle earth
- Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Herefordshire and Worcestershire NHS Health and Care Trust
- NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB (BSol ICB)
- Royal Orthopedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Birmingham Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Worcestershire Emergency Hospitals NHS Trust
Yorkshire and the Humber
- Bradford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Leeds Public Health NHS Trust
- Leeds University Hospitals NHS Trust
National employers
- Health education in England
- National Health Service England
Northern Ireland
- Belfast Health and Welfare Trust
- Northern Health and Welfare Fund
- Western Health and Welfare Foundation
- Southern dependency on health care and social assistance
- Southeastern Health and Welfare Fund
- Practice and Education Council for Northern Ireland
- organization of business services
- Quality improvement regulation and authority
- Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service
- Public Health Authority
- Northern Ireland Ambulance Service
Wales
- Cardiff and Vail University Health Board
- Powys teaches at the local health department
- NHS Trust Headquarters in Wales
- Hywel Dda University Board of Health
- Swansea Bay University Board of Health
- Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
- Betsy Cadwaladr University Local Health Authority
- Velindre NHS Trust
- Public Health Wales
- Health education and health promotion Health Wales Authority
- Wales NHS Shared Services Partnership
- Digital Health & Care Wales
Why are the nurses on strike?
RCN reported that since 2010 real wages for nurses have fallen by 20 percent. There are also record positions for nurses, with 25,000 nurses leaving the roster last year.
The nurses are demanding a 5% increase in wages against inflation – although the company said it would accept a lower offer – and better working conditions amid a massive staffing shortage.
This is a 19.2 percent pay rise that the government says is unaffordable. The strikes continue after talks collapsed on Monday when Health Secretary Steve Barclay refused to discuss wages.
The government has said it will continue to consider issues not related to wages.
RCN chief executive Pat Cullen accused Mr. Steve Barclay of being “aggressive” after he refused to discuss wages.
Ms Cullen added on Thursday morning that the Independent Payroll Oversight Board process “is not independent” as she hinted that future strikes were likely.
She said that Mr. Barclay told her that she could talk about anything but “the pay – it won’t solve anything.” What he will do is continue such days.”
During the prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer Rishi Sunak accused him of falling into “hibernation” rather than working to call off Thursday’s strike.
He said that all Prime Minister Sunak had to do to prevent the strikes was to “open the door and talk to them about the reward.”
Mr. Sunak emphasized that his government has “consistently spoken to all trade unions involved in all wage disputes” and said he supported the recommendations of the Independent Wage Review Body.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.