Nursing union announces TWO more NHS strike dates

Nurses will strike again in the New Year, with chaos planned on back-to-back days.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will stage more walk-outs on January 18 and 19. Even more dates will be confirmed next month.  

Almost 30,000 operations and appointments were cancelled because of its strikes on December 15 and 20, which were the biggest in NHS history.

Meanwhile, next week’s ambulance walk-outs have been cancelled.  

Thousands of paramedics and ambulance staff represented by GMB were preparing to strike again on December 28.

But the union — one of three to take part in December 20’s action, the biggest 999 walk-out in 30 years — claimed it had U-turned because it was ‘overwhelmed’ by the ‘incredible British public’.

Rachel Harrison, GMB national secretary said: ‘People across the country have been wonderful in backing us and we care so much about them too. We know the public will appreciate being able to enjoy Christmas without any additional anxiety. They support us and we support them.’

Meanwhile, Unison has confirmed plans for even more disruption in January with two bigger ambulance walk-outs.

Members in five services in England will strike on January 11 and 23. The action will involve all employees — not just 999 crews, as was the case on Wednesday.

Unite, the other union behind this week’s chaotic ambulance walk-outs, confirmed staff in Wales will strike in January, too.

Unions want inflation-busting pay rises, with the RCN demanding 19 per cent. 

Its boss has, however, said she will compromise if ministers were willing to negotiate.

But the Government has refused to stump up any extra cash, sticking to its original offer of around 4 per cent.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay is considering fast-tracking next year’s NHS pay rise in a bid to resolve the dispute. He has already hinted that staff can ‘look forward’ to next year’s review.

RCN chief executive Pat Cullen said: ‘The Government had the opportunity to end this dispute before Christmas but instead they have chosen to push nursing staff out into the cold again in January.

‘I do not wish to prolong this dispute, but the Prime Minister has left us with no choice.’

Ms Cullen, who joined picket lines last week, added: ‘The public support has been heart-warming.

‘And I am more convinced than ever that this is the right thing to do for patients and the future of the NHS.

‘The voice of nursing will not be ignored. Staff shortages and low pay make patient care unsafe – the sooner ministers come to the negotiating table, the sooner this can be resolved. I will not dig in, if they don’t dig in.’

Dozens of hospitals took part in last week’s RCN strikes, which saw a bank holiday-style service ran in many wards across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

Cancer patients were among those denied care in the RCN’s first national strike in its 106-year history.

Some services, including chemotherapy and dialysis, were exempt.

January’s strikes are only planned for England at the moment — but the union hinted that action is looming for the rest of the UK.

Action could rumble on for six months, unless the two sides come to an agreement.  

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: ‘Health leaders will breathe a sigh of relief on behalf of their staff and patients that next week’s ambulance strikes have been called off but with four days to prepare for in January, they know that trouble awaits.

‘No health leader wants to be in this situation and the new strikes announced for January could have been avoided had the government attempted to find more common ground with the unions pay. 

‘The government cannot just sit back and let these strikes happen when patient care is on the line and the unions must honour their commitment to protect “life and limb”.

‘It’s clear this is becoming critical and the worry is that NHS will be held hostage to this position of stalemate between both sides. 

‘This benefits no one and the government must act and reach a compromise with trade unions now.’

It comes as the NHS is braced for its ‘darkest’ ever Christmas as it battles a flu surge, a bed-blocking crisis and the aftermath of strikes.

Health leaders warn the service is going into the weekend with an unsafe number of patients on wards, skeleton staffing levels and is ‘dangerously close to overheating completely’.

The public was last night urged not to socialise with friends and relatives if unwell over the festive period to avoid passing on infections and overwhelming the NHS.

Ambulance handover delays at A&E are the worst on record, leaving crews unable to respond to new 999 calls for hours at a time.

And enquiries to NHS 111 are approaching an all-time-high, with worried parents seeking advice on the Strep A outbreak raging through schools.

Saffron Cordery, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: ‘Trust leaders are expecting this Christmas to be one of their darkest to date.’

There are fears that patients who delayed seeking care when nurses and ambulance staff picketed this week will now scramble to be seen.

However, there are likely to be fewer staff available to deal with the influx as hospitals operate stripped back weekend and Christmas Day rotas.

In other related news… 

How bad are ambulance delays at YOUR hospital? Use our interactive tool to find out… as data reveals 85% of paramedic crews face 30minute waits outside busiest A&Es 

Prepare for MORE ambulance chaos! Unison announces two more strike dates in January as another union plots walk-out in Wales 

Don’t give granny flu at Christmas: Festive revellers are urged not to mix with vulnerable relatives if they are ill to avoid overloading struggling NHS