THE NHS faces a fresh wave of strikes starting with two days of nurse walkouts this week.
Royal College of Nursing chiefs tonight announced two more dates for action in February if ministers don’t start pay talks.
SOPA Images/LightRocket via GettNurses will hold four more strike days in January and February, starting this Wednesday[/caption]
Ambulance staff are also set to declare more strikes after a meeting of the GMB union this afternoon.
Hospitals warn the impact on patients is getting worse as more NHS trusts join the strikes.
Saffron Cordery, chief of NHS Providers, said: “Further nurse strike dates across more locations next month are very worrying.
“The health service is already stretched far too thin and more extensive industrial action is likely to have an even greater impact.”
Thousands of nurses at 55 organisations across England will walk out on Wednesday and Thursday this week – compared to 44 in December’s strikes.
The RCN said it will tighten the screw even further on February 6 and 7 unless ministers begin negotiations.
Its next phase will involve 73 NHS trusts – around half of all hospitals in England and two thirds more than the first walkouts.
The first two nurse walkouts in December saw 21,508 staff down tools and 29,576 appointments and operations postponed.
Ms Cordery added: “Nobody wants this to continue.
“There are three weeks between now and these new dates in February – this is more than enough time for the Government and unions to open negotiations and avert more strikes.”
Last month’s ambulance and A&E delays were the worst on record and strikes are adding to NHS pressure at its worst time of year.
Ministers have refused to budge on their five per cent pay offer to nurses, who have demanded around 19 per cent, but both sides appear to be softening their stance.
General Secretary of the RCN, Pat Cullen, said: “We are doing this in a desperate bid to get Rishi Sunak and ministers to rescue the NHS.
“The only credible solution is to address the tens of thousands of unfilled jobs – patient care is suffering like never before.
“My olive branch to the Government – to meet me halfway and begin negotiations – is still there. They should grab it.”