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.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.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.
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
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.
On Friday, RCN general secretary Pat Cullen accepted strikes would add to risks to patients, but resisted accepting a characterisation that it would pose a significant risk to patients.
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.
And Ms Cullen has urged Mr Sunak to step in and help resolve the dispute.
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.
Matthew Taylor told BBC Breakfast: “That really difficult challenge of reducing waiting lists becomes almost impossible if this industrial actions spreads, as it is spreading, and particularly if junior doctors join the industrial action.
“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.”