Largest strike in NHS history set to cause mass disruption

Hospital bosses and health staff have urged ministers to reopen pay talks as the NHS in England has launched its biggest ever industrial action.

Tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance workers have walked out of hospitals today – the first-time they have engaged in strike action together.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), which is staging two days of industrial action, has said it is calling out twice as many of its members than it did during earlier strikes. Additionally, ambulance crews and call handlers will return to work tomorrow but are expected to stop work again on Friday.

Union leaders implored the government to act to prevent further strike action, but ministers have insisted they cannot afford ‘inflation-busting pay rises’.

Maria Caulfield, the Minister for Mental Health, and Women’s Health Strategy said NHS would be on the agenda for any future talks but would be agreed for ‘next year’s deal’.

Speaking with Sky news, Ms Caulfield said: ‘We’ve been pretty clear that we’re not going to look at the current year’s pay award. That was agreed in April by the unions and by the government and accepted in full. We really want to focus on the forthcoming pay awards.’

In addition to Ms Caulfield trying to provide some reassurance about the government re-opening pay talks, Pat Cullen, General Secretary of the RCN, said she had written to the Prime Minister urging him to ‘resolve this impasse’, saying it was pointless devoting more funding to the NHS without proper staffing levels.

Rishi Sunak announced last week that an extra £1bn will be given to hospitals in a bid to provide more beds and ambulances to reduce NHS pressures, but concerns were cast about the lack of staff members suggesting there would be a shortage of people able to take on extra services.

Ms Cullen told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: ‘The record money that’s going into the health service is certainly not addressing the crisis within the nursing workforce.

‘It’s a false economy, putting money into short-term projects and short-term measures instead of actually looking at a more strategic long-term plan for the health service’.

NHS leaders have described strikes this week as the ‘most disruptive week of strikes to date’ but have urged people to seek urgent and emergency care if they need it and attend appointments as planned unless they have been told otherwise.  

As well as nurses and ambulance staff engaging in strike action this week, physiotherapists are set to ditch their practices on Thursday and join the strike for sufficient pay.

Photo by MedicAlert UK