BRITAIN faces the largest ever strike by healthcare workers in history as nurses and ambulance workers walk out today.
People will face a “postcode lottery” of care across the country with tens of thousands of staff from the two unions returning to picket lines following a row over pay.
ReutersNurses protest outside St Thomas’ Hospital, in London[/caption]
EPAStriking nurses picket outside the Walton Centre in Liverpool, Britain[/caption]
ReutersNurses protest during a strike by NHS medical workers outside St Thomas’ Hospital, in London[/caption]
Brits have also been warned to only call 999 in “life-threatening” circumstances.
It comes five days after the country was brought to a halt by industrial action disrupting trains, schools and the civil service.
There will be a “hugely disrupted day” across the NHS, leaders have warned.
Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, told Sky News: “I think it’s going to be a hugely disrupted day across the NHS, it’s going to be incredibly challenging.”
Further NHS strikes are set to unfold over the week, with nurses returning to the picket fence tomorrow, physiotherapist later in the week and 999 workers on Friday.
“We’re planning for an incredibly disrupted week,” she said.
“What we previously had with industrial action has been, for example community nursing staff being able to plug the gaps left when ambulance staff are out on strike, but obviously with nurses and ambulances out today, that’s going to be incredibly difficult,” she explained.
Maria Caulfield, minister for mental health and women’s health strategy, said she sympathised with striking nurses but argued that “inflation-busting pay rises” could not be afforded.
The Conservative MP and nurse, speaking to GB News, said: “I’m an RCN member myself, so I sit in both camps, if you like.
“Absolutely, I have a lot of sympathy.
“But we also have a responsibility to the taxpayer and we’ve followed an independent process with the pay review body that unions signed up to and were very happy with the settlement last year.
“And it is difficult for us now if we are to give a pay (rise) to nurses, we would have to look at teachers, ambulance drivers.
“We just can’t afford inflation-busting pay rises that the unions are currently demanding.”
But Sharon Graham, of the Unite union, said the Government should open negotiations on pay or face a “constant cycle” of walkouts.
Speaking at a picket in Wales, Sharon said: “There isn’t going to be any other way to end this dispute until they come to the table and talk about pay.
“[The Government] said on many occasions that they’re in constructive talks; first of all, I don’t know what those constructive talks are – they are certainly not on pay.
“And, secondly, I can’t put constructive talks on a ballot paper.
“What we need is the talks to happen with Rishi Sunak or Stephen Barclay on pay, we can get an offer and then we can put that off to the members.
“That’s what needs to happen. Until that happens, we are in this constant cycle of having strike action, which obviously nobody wants.
“Our members do not want to be on strike. They want to be at work serving the country.”
Where are the strikes?
Here is a full list of all the trusts affected by today’s strikes:
Members of the Royal College of Nursing will strike at the following hospital trusts today:
Eastern
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
London
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
North West
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust
Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Found Trust
St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Found Trust
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Found Trust
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust
Northern
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust
South East
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
South East Coast Ambulance Service
South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
South West
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
North Bristol NHS Trust
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Found Trust
West Midlands
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Yorkshire and the Humber
Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
Ambulance workers represented by the GMB union will strike today.
The following trusts will be affected:
South West Ambulance Service
South East Coast Ambulance Service
North West Ambulance Service
South Central Ambulance Service
North East Ambulance Service
East Midlands Ambulance Service
Welsh Ambulance Service
Yorkshire Ambulance Service