Nurses set up picket lines at hospitals in NottinghaMshire at 7 am on Tuesday 20 December, the second day of strike action this week.
Picket lines are planned for Nottingham’s QMC, City Hospital and ICB headquarters.
The action today affects NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
The union said:
‘The first phase of strike action is taking place on Thursday 15 and Tuesday 20 December after the UK government turned down our offer of formal, detailed negotiations as an alternative to strikes.’
‘Strike action will happen in phases, meaning more strike dates could be announced after initial action in December if governments fail to enter into formal negotiations.’
‘The governments have the power and means to stop strikes at any point but have chosen to go down this route.
@westbridgfordwirenews Nurses set up picket lines at hospitals in NottinghaMshire at 7 am on Tuesday 20 December, the second day of strike action this week. Picket lines are planned for Nottingham’s QMC, City Hospital and ICB headquarters. The action today affects NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. #rcn #nottingham #notts #nottinghamshire #uknews #bbcnews #foryoupage #fyp #nursetok #picketline #nhsnurses #nursestrike2022 #nursesoftiktok #nhs #strike #union #qmc ♬ original sound – West Bridgford Wire News
‘Not all members at employers where there is a mandate to strike will be called to strike on these first two dates. Phase one could be just the beginning of a longer period of strike action.’
‘The announcement of strike dates follows the result of our recent ballot in which members at the majority of NHS employers across the UK voted to strike.
‘The dispute is over pay, but also patient safety. Staffing levels are so low that patient care is being compromised. Only by paying nursing staff fairly will we recruit and retain people in our profession.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:
“I hugely value the work of our NHS staff and it is disappointing some union members are going ahead with further strike action when we know the impact this has on patients.
“My number one priority remains to keep patients as safe as possible and I’ve been working closely with the NHS and across government to protect safe staffing levels.
“The NHS remains open, patients should continue to come forward for emergency and urgent medical care. They should also continue to turn up to appointments unless they have been contacted by the NHS.
“The RCN’s demands are unaffordable during these challenging times and would take money away from frontline services while they are still recovering from the impact of the pandemic. I’m open to engaging with the unions on how to make the NHS a better place to work.”
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board ( ICB ) said:
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are one of a number of areas across the country that is affected by industrial action being taken by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) on 15 and 20 December.
This action will be taking place at employers where the threshold was met as part of the RCN ballot. Employers who met the threshold in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire include:
- Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
Due to the reduction in nursing staff across these organisations, planned surgery and outpatient appointments will be affected. If you have not been contacted, please attend your appointment as planned. The NHS will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to the strike action.
Regardless of any strike action taking place, it is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases.
Where the situation is not life-threatening, alternative support is available through NHS111 online, at your nearest pharmacy or at urgent treatment centres.
The Chief Executive of Nottingham’s hospitals said Thursday’s nurses’ strike will “undoubtedly” have an impact on the trust’s services to patients.
Nurses across the country are striking on the first of two 12-hour strikes on a historic day of industrial action.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is asking for a 19 per cent pay rise, five per cent above inflation, something the Government says is not affordable.
Nurses stood on the picket line at the Queen’s Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital on December 15 as the industrial action took place from 8 am to 8 pm.
Another day of strikes will take place today, December 20.
Anthony May, Chief Executive of Nottingham University Hospitals Trust said: “We’ve been planning for the strike for several weeks because it was a prospect even before the outcome of the ballot. All of our plans have come to fruition today.
“We have been working really hard with the RCN to keep our emergency services going.
“There’s undoubtedly going to be an impact across the trust, I don’t know what that is yet but we will mitigate as much as we can.
“We can use what happens today to learn because there is potential industrial action next week.
“What I’ve seen from my messages is that things are calm and our plans are working.
“At the moment we’re absolutely focused on plans for today.
“It’s too soon to evaluate the impact from today on individual patients and services.”
He added that the doors are open and people should continue to use the hospital, particularly if they have an emergency.
Sherwood Forest Hospitals staff did not take part in the strikes.
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