Nurses strike

Picket lines are being set up at dozens of hospitals in a dispute over pay, with the Welsh Government warning services will be “significantly impacted”.

“There will be some cancer services that will be postponed. “Nurses do not want to take away services from people, but they are at the end of their tether, struggling to pay their bills, and they deserve more.” He has repeatedly said the Government is sticking to the recommendations of the independent pay review body, which said nurses should get a pay rise of around £1,400. “There won’t be enough nurses running the wards so things that are not life threatening, people are going to have to wait. The RCN have made it pretty clear that people who need emergency cancer operations and services will get it, but other people will be asked to wait and will have to wait. Picket lines are being set up at dozens of hospitals in a dispute over pay, with the Welsh Government warning services will be “significantly impacted”.

Paediatric emergency nurse Lizzi Cafferky, 30, told The Mirror: “You walk onto shift and there's often nurses in tears. “I've cried and beaten myself internally ...

and it's a tragic day for the people of society and for our NHS," she told BBC Breakfast. She said nurses were asking for the "20% that has been eroded from our nurses' pay over the last decade to be put back" and Health Secretary Steve Barclay had told her she could talk about "anything but pay - that's going to resolve nothing. "The scaremongering we have seen did upset some but also demonstrated the disrespect afforded to nurses for raising their voice. "The Tories have turned their back on nurses, I truly think they believe we are going to just fold because of our profession it is in our nature to be kind and caring but enough is enough. “We have to go on strike to try and save the NHS. As a son of a nurse I know how difficult, frustrating & heartbreaking the job can be. You've only got to come into A and E and see the queues, there's no beds. "Quite regularly we have staff walking along the corridor and bursting out into tears because of the pressure. You have the nation’s support." We are doing this is to keep free health service going where we can actually care for people." Staff rallied round to find support but we shouldn't have to walk into that on a daily basis. It’s been delegated to those who are already crippled under the weight of burnout.”

The Welsh government said it would need extra money from the UK government to fund pay rises - which Westminster said are unaffordable.

It's the fact that lots and lots of mental energy had gone into it." "It's the fact that years and years of worry and fears and hope all come together and crystallise themselves in this one date. The RCN has called for a rise of 5% above the RPI inflation rate, which is currently above 14%. "Pay rises are important to us... "I really did have to wrestle my conscience. "They have their place in the department, but whereas it used to be the exception it's now the norm." I'm from the valleys where coal was king. I've seen the hardships those people went through. "We had no choice in the end, I see this as an opportunity today to give my support to the nursing profession, so that's why I came out to support this strike and support this request for higher pay because our work is not easy and I believe the government should see our value, and they should see our worth." "It has been a very difficult decision for nurses to make, this is the first time that the RCN has voted to strike, and so nurses haven't taken this decision lightly." people think we get paid more than the government are telling them but we don't. "We do not want to be on the picket line...but we have no other choice and enough is enough really."

The RCN has repeated calls on the UK government to accept its request for negotiations to resolve the dispute over pay and patient safety. The union said the ...

The Royal College of Nursing asked for a 12.5% uplift in pay in 2020. And it has said that union demands are "not affordable" in the current economic climate, pointing out that each additional 1% pay rise for all staff on the Agenda for Change contract would cost around £700 million a year. The RCN has previously said that despite this year's pay award, experienced nurses are worse off by 20% in real terms due to successive below-inflation awards since 2010. She said nurses were asking for the "20% that has been eroded from our nurses' pay over the last decade to be put back" and Health Secretary Steve Barclay had told her she could talk about "anything but pay - that's going to resolve nothing. and it's a tragic day for the people of society and for our NHS," she told BBC Breakfast. But the RCN has not specifically asked for a 19.2% pay uplift. She said: "This was a horrendous decision to make and it is a decision that none of us wanted to take. One nurse messaged to said: "The unit I work on has doubled in size but with no extra staff. They hold signs that read: "Nobody wants the clap." Claire Austin, who is an assistant practitioner at the hospital, told the ECHO she’s here today to demand fair pay and “to save the NHS”. He said he doesn’t want to be out on strike this morning - he wants to be caring for his patients. The union said the number of NHS employers affected by the action will increase in January unless fresh talks are held.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) strike is the second in three years in the region, and the first involving nursing staff from England and Wales.

“The Department of Health remains extremely concerned at the scale of the current pressures on health and social care services – and the impact this is having on patients, service users, carers and staff. The Department of Health said it “fully understands the frustration and deep concern of staff”. “There has been constructive partnership working between the RCN and the Chief Nursing Officer and HSC trust directors of nursing on patient safety issues, including derogations from strike action to maintain critical services,” they said. “The minister Steve Barclay won’t even meet and discuss pay with our RCN leader Pat Cullen and the Government has forced us on to the picket line today in the cold in the month of December.” “He and a lot of his colleagues came out early of their training to work on the wards to protect the public from Covid and he’s now going to be on strike today for a fair pay award.” The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) strike is the second in three years in the region, and the first involving nursing staff from England and Wales.

Picket lines are being set up at dozens of hospitals in a dispute over pay, with the Welsh Government warning services will be “significantly impacted”.

“There will be some cancer services that will be postponed. “Nurses do not want to take away services from people, but they are at the end of their tether, struggling to pay their bills, and they deserve more.” He has repeatedly said the Government is sticking to the recommendations of the independent pay review body, which said nurses should get a pay rise of around £1,400. “There won’t be enough nurses running the wards so things that are not life threatening, people are going to have to wait. The RCN have made it pretty clear that people who need emergency cancer operations and services will get it, but other people will be asked to wait and will have to wait. Picket lines are being set up at dozens of hospitals in a dispute over pay, with the Welsh Government warning services will be “significantly impacted”.

Picket lines have been started at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, Kidderminster Hospital and The Princess of Wales Community ...

and it’s a tragic day for the people of society and for our NHS,” she told BBC Breakfast. We reckon it’s about 70,000 appointments, procedures, surgeries that will be lost.” He has said the Government is sticking to the recommendations of the independent pay review body, which said nurses should get a pay rise of around £1,400.

Picket lines are being set up at dozens of hospitals in a dispute over pay, with the Welsh government saying services will be “significantly impacted”.

Pamela Jones, striking for the first time in her life, was on the picket line outside Aintree University Hospital. Mr Reed added that Labour would help make the NHS "work better for less", thereby freeing up resources for "fair pay rises". "So, in a very real sense, the strikes happening today are Steve Barclay and Rishi Sunak strikes because the nurses gave them a way out and they simply refused it," he told ITV News. I think you will make different decisions." She said she had been a nurse for 32 years and the changes she had seen were "astronomical". “We need to find a way as a government, and the union does too, to get to that centre point, that point of agreement straight away,” he told Talk TV. She added: “I have connections with the food bank and there are more and more nurses using the food bank which is just not acceptable." “We want to save our NHS, we don’t want it to go, and I think this is the way forward, it’s the only way we can put our point across," Ms Jones said. She told ITV News the nurses are "reasonable people", only asking for a "decent wage" to look after their families and pay their bills. He has repeatedly said the government is sticking to the recommendations of the independent pay review body, which said nurses should get a pay rise of around £1,400. Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed said it is "shocking" that Mr Barclay "refused" to sit down with the nurses to talk about the "crisis" and resolve the row over pay and conditions. Thousands of NHS appointments and operations have been cancelled because of the strike, with the health service running a bank holiday-style service in many areas.

Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) began a walkout at 63 NHS trusts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland at 8am after negotiations with Health ...

However, Ms Cullen has indicated that she would accept a lower offer than their demand of 19 per cent and that future industrial action would be called off if Mr Barclay agreed to discussions over pay. We expect that patients who have had their appointment or surgery postponed will be able to be rescheduled for the end of January.” She said: "We just do not have enough nurses to provide patients with the services they deserve. But unless the government improves pay and conditions we will not be able to bring people into the job. Mr Barclay does not have any plans to meet with the union in the coming days, the Standard understands. The RCN has said it will still staff chemotherapy, emergency cancer services, dialysis, critical care units, neonatal and paediatric intensive care.

NHS Employers boss says strikes next month likely to be for longer and to affect more trusts if dispute continues.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “Essentially, we’ve paused that bill and are looking at adding additional measures to it to widen its scope. It agreed to expand the list of exemptions for Thursday and next Tuesday after pressure from NHS chiefs. On Thursday two other Tory former ministers – Jake Berry, until recently the Tory party chairman, and Dr Dan Poulter, a former health minister who is also an NHS doctor – urged Barclay to rethink. Both have insisted they cannot increase their offer of a £1,400 rise for most NHS staff this year because they are bound by the advice of the NHS pay review body. “Unless the government indicates a willingness to negotiate on pay-related matters, further strike dates will be announced by the RCN for January 2023 and beyond. He reminded them that the RCN’s decision not to hit all of the care providers it could have done only applied to Thursday and next Tuesday’s action.

Nurses across much of the UK launched a historic strike on Thursday, as they walked out of hospitals and onto picket lines after several years of falling ...

But they are joining workers across Britain’s public services in walking out of work and demanding increased pay and conditions, furthering a swelling tide of strikes unlike any seen in the UK for decades. But the ongoing disputes are a thorny issue for both major parties. The standoff follows years of disputes over the level of pay for NHS employees. During the early weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic, thousands of Britons stood outside their homes to applaud NHS workers, in a weekly ritual championed by the government. That is the highest number for any month since 2011. It has left the government scrambling to respond. Steve Barclay, the UK’s health secretary, told CNN in a statement earlier this week that their demand is “not affordable.” It’s scary for us because our registrations are on the line and we’re being put in a position where it isn’t safe,” Ms. “The NHS has been running on the compassion and goodwill of nurses for years … The strike is taking place on two days – Thursday and next Tuesday – and not every NHS Trust will take part. The public need to understand the pressures that everyone’s under. it’s not safe and we cannot deliver the care that these children need at times,” she said.

It said it needed more money from the UK government to fund pay rises, but Westminster said that was unaffordable. Nurse practitioner Sue Williams, who was on ...

we've seen what they've been through during the pandemic and they deserve to have pay that can let them live comfortably." Plaid Cymru's spokesperson for health and care, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said: "Plaid Cymru is on the side of all workers fighting for fair pay and safe working conditions. It's the fact that lots and lots of mental energy had gone into it." "It's the fact that years and years of worry and fears and hope all come together and crystallise themselves in this one date. "It was a really difficult decision to strike. She said nurses feel they have been hit hard by the cost of living crisis. Jenna Pledge, 38, from Pontypridd said: "I took my boy to the hospital. "We do not want to be on the picket line... Nothing will be gained by striking , it's negotiation and talking that will sort it." "It's not an easy decision," said the 51-year-old from south Wales. "Pay rises are important to us... I felt really sorry for them."

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it would aim to keep minor injury and illness units open, but “the level of coverage is subject to safe ...

Advice will also be available through local NHS social media channels.” The chief medical officer at NHS Gloucestershire, Dr Andy Seymour, said: “One Gloucestershire health and care partners are working closely together to minimise disruption and ensure those in greatest need continue to have access to high quality care and support during the days of industrial action. Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust said the unit in Stroud plus one in Tewkesbury have been shut while another in Lydney is operating with reduced service.

Members of the Royal College of Nursing took part in a 12-hour action on Thursday over pay and safe staffing levels.

“The Department of Health remains extremely concerned at the scale of the current pressures on health and social care services – and the impact this is having on patients, service users, carers and staff. The Department of Health said it “fully understands the frustration and deep concern of staff”. “The minister, Steve Barclay, won’t even meet and discuss pay with our RCN leader, Pat Cullen, and the Government has forced us on to the picket line today in the cold in the month of December.” “He and a lot of his colleagues came out early of their training to work on the wards to protect the public from Covid and he’s now going to be on strike today for a fair pay award.” The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) strike was the second in three years in the region, and the first involving nursing staff from England and Wales. On the picket lines in Belfast nurses spoke of an effective pay cut over the last decade and their concern for the next generation of nurses.

Health secretary rebuffs Royal College of Nursing as some Tory MPs call for better remuneration.

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DISTRICT councillors in Stroud have spoken out about why it's right for workers to be able to withdraw their labour as nurses hold strikes across…

Now they are asking for us to take care of them. Yet the cost of living keeps going up and up. Councillor Trevor Hall (I, Dursley) said: “No-one willingly goes on strike – it is costly, difficult and emotionally hard on those striking.

Among them was Shelley Harwood, a nurse for 17 years at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, who said "pay and conditions are not reflective of the duties". Others ...

Heather Smith was due to have an operation on Thursday after finding a lump on her breast and said she was "in tears" when it was cancelled because of the industrial action. "We just feel we need more of a pay rise to help us with the standards of living," he said. Lee Samson, who stood in front of the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, Worcestershire, said: "We are trying to do extra hours to make ends meet." Many of those who took part in the walk-out in freezing temperatures said they were struggling due to the rising cost of domestic bills. Among them was Shelley Harwood, a nurse for 17 years at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, who said "pay and conditions are not reflective of the duties". Nurses across the West Midlands joined tens of thousands of others across the country for a 12-hour walk-out over pay.

Nearly 100 people gather in Bristol as nurses take part in the biggest strike in NHS history.

NHS staff also had a 3% rise in 2021 - in recognition of their work during the pandemic - while the rest of the public sector had a pay freeze, it said. "We can't give the care we want to and I feel like it's dangerous for us and for the public," she added. At the picket line in Swindon, Nichola Ashby, the deputy director of the RCN, described the strike as "a very sad day". "Striking is unprecedented in our profession - it really means something - we want the government to listen to us," she added. "It is time for us to make a stand, to protect our nurses and most importantly patient care," she said. A health worker says nursing is "at crisis point" as she takes part in the biggest strike in NHS history.

Members of the Royal College of Nursing took part in a 12-hour action on Thursday over pay and safe staffing levels.

“The Department of Health remains extremely concerned at the scale of the current pressures on health and social care services – and the impact this is having on patients, service users, carers and staff. The Department of Health said it “fully understands the frustration and deep concern of staff”. “The minister, Steve Barclay, won’t even meet and discuss pay with our RCN leader, Pat Cullen, and the Government has forced us on to the picket line today in the cold in the month of December.” “He and a lot of his colleagues came out early of their training to work on the wards to protect the public from Covid and he’s now going to be on strike today for a fair pay award.” The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) strike was the second in three years in the region, and the first involving nursing staff from England and Wales. On the picket lines in Belfast nurses spoke of an effective pay cut over the last decade and their concern for the next generation of nurses.

Members of the Royal College of Nursing took part in a 12-hour action on Thursday over pay and safe staffing levels.

“The Department of Health remains extremely concerned at the scale of the current pressures on health and social care services – and the impact this is having on patients, service users, carers and staff. The Department of Health said it “fully understands the frustration and deep concern of staff”. “The minister, Steve Barclay, won’t even meet and discuss pay with our RCN leader, Pat Cullen, and the Government has forced us on to the picket line today in the cold in the month of December.” “He and a lot of his colleagues came out early of their training to work on the wards to protect the public from Covid and he’s now going to be on strike today for a fair pay award.” The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) strike was the second in three years in the region, and the first involving nursing staff from England and Wales. On the picket lines in Belfast nurses spoke of an effective pay cut over the last decade and their concern for the next generation of nurses.

The UK government says the Royal College of Nursing's pay demands are unaffordable. No 10 said there were "no plans" to look again at the pay deal for nurses, ...

Under strike rules, emergency care must still be provided, for example in intensive care and A&E, and urgent cancer treatment and dialysis should run as normal - which means the biggest impact will have been on routine services. More strikes by nurses are planned on 20 December and in the new year. Nurses in Scotland are not striking on Thursday while they consider a pay offer from the Scottish government. He said three-quarters of trusts had not gone on strike on Thursday and many nurses had continued working in areas excluded from the strike because of the risk to life. Rebecca, a nurse striking outside St Thomas' Hospital in London, said her job was "too tiring, it's too much, it's just not safe for either the staff or the patients to continue the way it is now". Speaking outside a hospital in London, Health Secretary Steve Barclay said the government was "hugely grateful" to nurses but the 19% pay rise they wanted was "not affordable given the many other economic pressures that we face". Pat Cullen, head of the Royal College of Nursing, called it "a tragic day for nursing and for patients" and asked the government to address pay this year to "stop the drain out of our profession". She said nurses were "asking for the 20% that has been taken out of their pay over the last decade". A video on Twitter sees her calling for the government to "make sure they work with the RCN and other unions to get an urgent resolution to pay". Dame Ruth also thanked nurses working on wards around the country "this day and every day", adding that they would continue to "ensure minimal risk to patient safety". "Everyone needs to cool it and I think sending it back to the pay review body to have a look would be a sensible answer." The strikes have been held in around a quarter of hospitals and community teams in England, all health boards in Northern Ireland and all but one in Wales.

The Made In Chelsea star, 32, said the Government needed to act to improve conditions for nursing staff.

She continued: “The stuff I witnessed, the amount of people coming in and out on a daily basis and the amount of strain they were under was shocking. “A few people messaged me asking whether I was going to speak up about the nurse strike today. “I have some very positive things to say and some very negative things (that I have and I will continue to keep to myself).

The Made In Chelsea star, 32, said the Government needed to act to improve conditions for nursing staff.

She continued: “The stuff I witnessed, the amount of people coming in and out on a daily basis and the amount of strain they were under was shocking. “A few people messaged me asking whether I was going to speak up about the nurse strike today. “I have some very positive things to say and some very negative things (that I have and I will continue to keep to myself).